Something New I Learned About Snakes
Yesterday was a good day, and I was so productive in my research and outlining of future projects (just you wait and see it’ll be great) that I completely forgot to write a blog about an article that particularly excited me. I found this article in the Cornell Chronicle while doing some snake related research, and it is all about a study done at the university suggesting that snakes may play the role of an ecosystem engineer. This ecological role refers to species that aid in the physical makeup of their habitat by digging intricate burrows, building giant termite mounds, or (in the snake case study) aiding in seed dispersal (it is important to note that these are not all of the ways ecosystem engineers shape their habitat, just a small snapshot).
After reading the article communicating this revelation, I went on to read the actual study from 2018 and realized this serpent seed dispersal is even more complex and presents the foundation for future research. While the sample size of this study was rather small, the researchers found that seeds were not only intact but beginning to germinate in the large intestine. Of course, this raises more questions than answers, but that is all part of the fun of science. The abstract suggests that further research should be conducted to answer those questions found during this particular project, and I hope that future research does take place. It is amazing to me that a creature that does not ingest plant matter is still able to interact with vegetation in such an impactful way, and it is suggested that because they have an inability to digest plant matter they may be more efficient than other carnivorous species that fulfill the same role.
Despite my nerdy rambling in above, this study just reminds me why I love science so much, new things are constantly being learned, and new questions are constantly being asked. Science is not just an answer machine, science is a discussion where an answer may be a new question. I know that concept is frustrating to some, but I genuinely love having new questions raised when an answer is gained, it just means there is more to learn, and new challenges to overcome.
References:
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/02/snakes-act-ecosystem-engineers-seed-dispersal
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2017.2755
