ABSTRACT
The term pheromone, first coined by Karlson and Lüscher (1959), describes a chemical or semiochemical produced by one individual that effects a change in the physiology or behavior of conspecifics. Taken in the animal communication context, a pheromone is a signal produced by a signaler with the effect of modifying the receiver in some way. Karlson and Lüscher’s definition allows researchers to ascribe to unidentified substances the term pheromone because one can evaluate the ability of chemical cues to affect receiver behavior without analytical isolation and characterization of putative semiochemicals, or chemicals with signal function. This chapter will focus on identified pheromones in snakes as well as systems where observations of pheromone-based behaviors have been made. Because this volume is focused on reproduction, we will focus this chapter on reproductive pheromones instead of putative aggregation pheromones (none of which has been identified to date).
