Data on dietary preference by brown treesnakes on Guam

These data address experimental evaluations of dietary preference by captive brown treesnakes on Guam. Snakes were collected from the wild in areas with birds present and in areas without birds present 2018?2019. Snakes were then run through preference trials during which they were offered first live lures (mouse and finch) in snake traps on opposite sides of the arena. On the second night, snakes were offered dead carrion (baits) of each prey type (mouse, chicken chick) equal to 30% of their mass. Choices were monitored overnight using game cameras and then transcribed the following day. Individuals were classified as BIRD or NOBIRD snakes based on whether they had birds in their gut contents at the time of capture. Interest in bird or mouse prey was quantified by which trap they entered (mouse or finch), number of times they investigated each trap, which bait they ate (mouse or chick) and number of times they investigated the bait or mouse.

本数据集围绕关岛圈养棕树蛇的饮食偏好实验评估展开相关研究。研究对象为2018至2019年间，从关岛野外存在鸟类栖息区域与无鸟类栖息区域捕获的棕树蛇。随后对受试蛇开展饮食偏好实验：实验场地两侧的蛇类诱捕笼中，分别放置活体诱饵（小鼠与雀类）供其选择。实验第二晚，向蛇类提供相当于其体重30%的各类型死亡腐食诱饵，涵盖小鼠与鸡雏两类。实验全程通过狩猎相机（game cameras）夜间监测蛇类的选择行为，并于次日完成数据转录。根据捕获时蛇类胃肠道内容物是否含有鸟类残骸，将受试个体划分为"含鸟类个体（BIRD）"与"不含鸟类个体（NOBIRD）"两类。针对鸟类或小鼠猎物的关注度可通过以下指标量化：受试蛇进入的诱捕笼类型（小鼠诱饵笼或雀类诱饵笼）、对各诱捕笼的探查次数、取食的诱饵类型（小鼠或鸡雏），以及对诱饵或小鼠的探查次数。