Blue tail and striped body: why do lizards change their infant costume when growing up?

Hawlena, Dror; Boochnik, Rami; Abramsky, Zvika; Bouskila, Amos

doi:10.1093/beheco/arl023

Cited by 86 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Other geckos show a different pattern, initially raising and then waving the tail (Bustard 1965;Johnson and Brodie 1974). The lateral movement of the tail during the display of G. albogularis also resembles the behavior performed in antipredator contexts by the iguanid Callisaurus draconoides (Hasson et al 1989), the scincid Eumeces laticeps (Cooper 1998), and the lacertid Acanthodactylus beershebensis (Hawlena et al 2006). Other tail displays are used in social, aggressive or courtship contexts; in these the animals raise the tail and move it laterally while extending the four limbs or holding the belly off the substrate (several gekkonids , Marcellini 1977;Gonatodes vittatus, Demeter and Marcellini 1981;Sphaerodactylus clenchi, Leuck et al 1990).…”

Section: Structure and Function Of Tail Displaysmentioning

confidence: 62%

Sex differences in antipredator tail-waving displays of the diurnal yellow-headed gecko Gonatodes albogularis from tropical forests of Colombia

Alonso

Cotrina

Pardo

et al. 2009

J Ethol

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Many vertebrate species show display behaviors when predators are in their vicinity. Some of these displays may inform the predator of the improbability of capturing the prey (i.e., pursuit-deterrent displays) and are potentially advantageous to both predator and prey. Here we present data on a tail display performed by Gonatodes albogularis, a diurnal tropical gecko. We performed transect surveys in three habitats near Bogotá in Colombia. Geckos detected during transects were approached by the observer in a standardized way, and details of their tailwaving displays were recorded. In control recordings animals were watched from a distant site without approaching them. Results showed sexual differences in tail-waving display: when approached by the observer, males performed this behavior more frequently than females. We found no significant differences between males and females in flight-initiation distances and height above the substratum when they were initially located. Results also showed that males displayed more frequently when approached than when the simulated predator remained stationary. We interpret these results as evidence that the display functions as a pursuit-deterrent signal to potential predators. However, as some tail displays were performed in the presence of conspecifics, the display may also have a social function.

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Section: Structure and Function Of Tail Displaysmentioning

confidence: 62%

Sex differences in antipredator tail-waving displays of the diurnal yellow-headed gecko Gonatodes albogularis from tropical forests of Colombia

Alonso

Cotrina

Pardo

et al. 2009

J Ethol

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“…Second, many reptiles change color seasonallyfemales of many species obtain bright coloration during the breeding season to communicate information about breeding status (Chan et al, 2009a;Hager, 2001). Third, many reptiles change color ontogenetically; for example, conspicuous tail coloration is observed in juveniles of several species, but not in adults (Hawlena et al, 2006). Although the physiological and adaptive significance of color variation has rarely been experimentally tested in reptiles, the dramatic color variation in this group is likely to have important fitness consequences.…”

Section: Pigment Variation In Lizardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the thread of nature’s tapestry: the genetics of diversity and convergence in animal pigmentation

Kronforst

Barsh

Kopp

et al. 2012

Pigment Cell Melanoma Res

122

131

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SummaryAnimals display incredibly diverse color patterns yet little is known about the underlying genetic basis of these phenotypes. However, emerging results are reshaping our view of how the process of phenotypic evolution occurs. Here, we outline recent research from three particularly active areas of investigation: melanin pigmentation in Drosophila, wing patterning in butterflies, and pigment variation in lizards. For each system, we highlight (i) the function and evolution of color variation, (ii) various approaches that have been used to explore the genetic basis of pigment variation, and (iii) conclusions regarding the genetic basis of convergent evolution which have emerged from comparative analyses. Results from these studies indicate that natural variation in pigmentation is a particularly powerful tool to examine the molecular basis of evolution, especially with regard to convergent or parallel evolution. Comparison of these systems also reveals that the molecular basis of convergent evolution is heterogeneous, sometimes involving conserved mechanisms and sometimes not. In the near future, additional work in other emerging systems will substantially expand the scope of available comparisons.

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“…However, young can also express an innate functional response that differs from the adult form if they experience different risks than adults (Wiedenmayer 2009). When behavioral defenses by young are appropriate for the risks associated with their age, age differences in behavior represent age-specific adaptations (Alberts and Cramer 1988;Hawlena et al 2006;Landová et al 2013). For example, ground-nesting scrubwren (Sericornis frontali) chicks respond appropriately to alarm calls toward predators that prey on eggs and nestlings, and they develop adult-like responses to aerial predator calls just before fledging (Platzen and Magrath 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ontogeny of antipredator behavior: age differences in California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) at multiple stages of rattlesnake encounters

Putman

Coss

Clark

2015

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Newborn offspring of animals often exhibit fully functional innate antipredator behaviors, but they may also require learning or further development to acquire appropriate responses. Experience allows offspring to modify responses to specific threats and also leaves them vulnerable during the learning period. However, antipredator behaviors used at one stage of a predator encounter may compensate for deficiencies at another stage, a phenomenon that may reduce the overall risk of young that are vulnerable at one or more stages. Few studies have examined age differences in the effectiveness of antipredator behaviors across multiple stages of a predator encounter. In this study, we examined age differences in the antipredator behaviors of California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) during the detection, interaction, and attack stages of Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) encounters. Using free-ranging squirrels, we examined the ability to detect free-ranging rattlesnakes, snake-directed behaviors after discovery of a snake, and responses to simulated rattlesnake strikes. We found that age was the most important factor in snake detection, with adults being more likely to detect snakes than pups. We also found that adults performed more tail flagging (a predator-deterrent signal) toward snakes and were more likely to investigate a snake's refuge when interacting with a hidden snake. In field experiments simulating snake strikes, adults exhibited faster reaction times than pups. Our results show that snake detection improves with age and that pups probably avoid rattlesnakes and minimize time spent in close proximity to them to compensate for their reduced reaction times to strikes.

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Blue tail and striped body: why do lizards change their infant costume when growing up?

Cited by 86 publications

References 39 publications

Sex differences in antipredator tail-waving displays of the diurnal yellow-headed gecko Gonatodes albogularis from tropical forests of Colombia

Sex differences in antipredator tail-waving displays of the diurnal yellow-headed gecko Gonatodes albogularis from tropical forests of Colombia

Unraveling the thread of nature’s tapestry: the genetics of diversity and convergence in animal pigmentation

The ontogeny of antipredator behavior: age differences in California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) at multiple stages of rattlesnake encounters

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