| Title |
Potential targets aimed at by spitting cobras when deterring predators from attacking
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Journal of Comparative Physiology A, February 2013
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00359-013-0796-8 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Ruben Andres Berthé, Guido Westhoff, Horst Bleckmann |
| Abstract |
When threatened, spitting cobras eject venom towards the face of an aggressor. To uncover the relevant cues used by cobras for face recognition we determined how often artificial targets equipped with or without eyes elicited spitting behavior. In addition, we measured whether and how target shape and size influenced the spitting behavior of cobras. Results show that oval- and round-shaped targets were most effective, while triangles with the same surface area as oval 'face like' targets hardly elicited spitting. The likelihood of spitting depended on neither the presence, the spatial arrangement (horizontal or vertical) nor the surface texture (shiny or matt) of glass eyes. Most likely, cobras do not specifically aim at the eyes of an offender but at the center of the body part closest to them. As this is usually the face of an animal, this strategy will result in at least one eye of the offender being hit most of the time. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 2 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | 50% |
| Unknown | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 1 | 50% |
| Scientists | 1 | 50% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 22 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown | 21 | 95% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 4 | 18% |
| Professor | 2 | 9% |
| Student > Master | 2 | 9% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 1 | 5% |
| Other | 1 | 5% |
| Other | 3 | 14% |
| Unknown | 9 | 41% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 6 | 27% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3 | 14% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 2 | 9% |
| Neuroscience | 1 | 5% |
| Materials Science | 1 | 5% |
| Other | 0 | 0% |
| Unknown | 9 | 41% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 12. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 21 April 2015.
All research outputs
#2,783,994
of 23,815,455 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Comparative Physiology A
#159
of 1,450 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#29,779
of 292,721 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Comparative Physiology A
#1
of 12 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,815,455 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 88th percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,450 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.9. This one has done well, scoring higher than 89% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 292,721 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 89% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 12 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 91% of its contemporaries.