Western Diamondback Rattlesnake interaction matrices for network analysis

Social network ecology is a powerful framework to assess patterns of
interconnectedness and identify group-level interactions. We investigated
social network structure in a pitviper (Crotalus atrox) to determine if
group-level interactions result in network structures for denning,
pairing, and parentage. We tested if network centrality was influenced by
body length, sex, home range size/location, or generic relatedness. We
revealed that networks were structurally modular but not nested. Sex was
the only significant predictor of centrality in the parentage network,
likely due to high levels of multiple paternity. Genotypic data revealed
interacting focal individuals were unlikely to be related in networks;
however, analysis of a larger group of subjects suggests kin-association
at communal dens. Den selection may be driven by a combination of social
preference, experience, and/or genetic relatedness. We demonstrated strong
fission-fusion dynamics connected to annual migrations to summer home
ranges and use of communal winter dens. Furthermore, both sexes show high
fidelity to home ranges and dens, but females occasionally alter den
sites, indicating active manipulation of their social environment. Our
study illustrates that comprehensive, long-term datasets incorporating
social network analysis with spatial and genetic information provide
robust and unique insights to understanding social structure of
understudied, cryptic taxa.