Repeated Injections of TTX Do Not Affect TTX Resistance or Growth in the Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis

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Abstract
The garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis is a known predator of the toxic newt Taricha granulosa. Resistance to the primary toxin of the newt, tetrodotoxin (TTX), varies among individuals and has a genetic basis. We investigated the consequences of longterm exposure to this toxin in an experiment designed to determine (1) whether increased tolerance to tetrodotxin occurs following repeated injections of tetrodotoxin in T. sitralis and (2) whether repeated exposure to tetrodotoxin has an effect on the growth of juvenile snakes. We measured resistance to tetrodotoxin for each individual based on reduction in crawl speed. Pairs of neonatal snakes were chosen based on similar resistance and size and randomly split into two groups, control and experimental. Each group received intraperitoneal injections every two weeks of either saline (control) or tetrodotoxin (experimental) for six months. Mass data were collected five times during the year. Length data were collected twice during the year. After one year, resistance was again measured and compared with neonate resistance. Analyses showed that repeated injections of tetrodotoxin had no effect on resistance or growth.

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