Bolder together: conformity drives behavioral plasticity in eastern gartersnakes.

ABSTRACT: Personality traits drive individual differences in behaviour that are consistent across time and context. Personality limits behavioural plasticity, which could lead to maladaptive choices if animals cannot adapt their behavior to changing conditions. Here, we assessed consistency and flexibility in one personality trait, boldness, across non-social and social contexts in eastern gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). Snakes explored a novel open arena either alone or in a pair. Pairs were assigned based on the data from the solo trials, such that each snake was paired once with a bolder and once with a less bold partner. We predicted that snakes would conform when in a social context, displaying plasticity in their personality, and causing boldness scores to converge. We found that

SUBMITTER: Skinner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10884060 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature