Copperhead and Tiger Snakes. S. Fearn et al. compare two types of snakes in the article “Body Size and Trophic Divergence of Two Large Sympatric Elapic Snakes in Tasmania” (Australian Journal of Zoology, Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. 159–165). Tiger snakes and lowland copperheads are both large snakes confined to the cooler parts of Tasmania. The weights of the male lowland copperhead in Tasmania have a mean of 812.07 g and a standard deviation of 330.24 g; the weights of the male tiger snake in Tasmania have a mean of 743.65 g and a standard deviation of 336.36 g.

a. Determine the z-scores for both a male lowland copperhead snake and a male tiger snake whose weights are 850 g.

b. Under what conditions would it be reasonable to use z-scores to compare the relative standings of the weights of the two snakes?

c. Assuming that a comparison using z-scores is legitimate, relative to the other snakes of its type, which snake is heavier?