Some vaguely explored (but not trivial) costs of tail autotomy in lizards

Naya, Daniel E.; Veloso, Claudio; Muñoz, José Luis Pedraz; Bozinovic, Francisco

doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.10.014

Cited by 60 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…(2) I recorded all postautotomy trials within 1-2 days of initiating autotomy, whereas McElroy and Bergmann recorded their trials 14 days post-autotomy. Following autotomy, it is known that body condition declines as resources are diverted towards regeneration (Dial and Fitzpatrick, 1981;Maginnis, 2006;Naya et al, 2007;Wrinn and Uetz, 2007;Fleming et al, 2009;Jagnandan et al, 2014) and could decrease maximum sprint speeds Fleming et al, 2009). In this study, the autotomized tail represented 6-10% of the intact body weight, which could have enabled greater running speeds immediately after tail loss because lizards had less weight to carry.…”

Section: Kinematic Changes Associated With Tail Lossmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…For example, tail autotomy may lead to decreased shortor long-term survival (Fox and McCoy, 2000) as a result of decreased running performance (Martin and Avery, 1998), changes to escape behavior (Downes and Shine, 2001), increased energetic costs to regenerate the tail (Naya et al, 2007), and decreased reproductive fitness (Dial and Fitzpatrick, 1981). Yet even some of these findings may be contradictory (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tail loss and narrow surfaces decrease locomotor stability in the arboreal green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

Hsieh

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Tails play an important role in dynamic stabilization during falling and jumping in lizards. Yet tail autotomy (the voluntary loss of an appendage) is a common mechanism used for predator evasion in these animals. How tail autotomy has an impact on locomotor performance and stability remains poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine how tail loss affects running kinematics and performance in the arboreal green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Lizards were run along four surface widths (9.5 mm, 15.9 mm, 19.0 mm and flat), before and following 75% tail autotomy. Results indicate that when perturbed with changes in surface breadth and tail condition, surface breadth tends to have greater impacts on locomotor performance than tail loss. Furthermore, while tail loss does have a destabilizing effect during regular running in these lizards, its function during steady locomotion is minimal. Instead, the tail probably plays a more active role during dynamic maneuvers that require dramatic changes in whole body orientation or center of mass trajectories.

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Section: Kinematic Changes Associated With Tail Lossmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tail loss and narrow surfaces decrease locomotor stability in the arboreal green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

Hsieh

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…This remarkable ability has evolved multiple times within lizards and different species exhibit a range of mechanisms enabling tail loss, such as fracture planes between or within vertebrae, and a host of modifications to other tail tissues, including blood vessels and musculature (Etheridge, 1967). After separation, the muscles of the autotomized tail can continue to contract and these movements act to distract a predator long enough for the lizard to escape (Dial and Fitzpatrick, 1983;Naya et al, 2007;Rumping and Jayne, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Losing stability: tail loss and jumping in the arboreal lizardAnolis carolinensis

Gillis

Bonvini

Irschick

2009

Journal of Experimental Biology

101

108

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SUMMARYVoluntary loss of an appendage, or autotomy, is a remarkable behavior that is widespread among many arthropods and lower vertebrates. Its immediate benefit, generally escape from a predator, is balanced by various costs, including impaired locomotor performance, reproductive success and long-term survival. Among vertebrates, autotomy is most widespread in lizards, in which tail loss has been documented in close to 100 species. Despite numerous studies of the potential costs of tail autotomy in lizards, none have focused on the importance of the tail in jumping. Using high-speed video we recorded jumps from six lizards (Anolis carolinensis) both before and after removing 80% of the tail to test the hypothesis that tail loss has a significant effect on jumping kinematics. Several key performance metrics, including jump distance and takeoff velocity, were not affected by experimental tail removal, averaging 21 cm and 124 cm s Supplementary material available online at

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“…Energy expenditures of intact and tailless animals have been measured by various authors (Congdon et al 1974;Vitt et al 1977;Dial and Fitzpatrick 1981;Bellairs and Bryant 1985;Naya and Bozinovic 2006;Naya et al 2007). It is important to bear in mind that most lizards are able to fully regenerate a lost tail (Arnold 1988).…”

Section: Tail Autotomy Does Not Change Rmr In Lygodactylus Capensismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tail regeneration is an energetically expensive process (Chapple et al 2002); therefore, if energy expenditure is measured some time after tail loss, the effects of tail loss are compounded with regeneration costs, and these animals are likely to demonstrate higher RMRs (compared with intact animals). For example, a 15% increase in food intake and a 26% increase in standard metabolic rate have been recorded for Liolaemus nitidus (Liolaemidae) autotomized 3 wk before measurement (Naya and Bozinovic 2006), a 36% increase in standard metabolic rate has been measured for Liolaemus belli 1 wk after autotomy (Naya et al 2007), and a 25% increase in energy intake has been measured for tailless Coleonyx brevis geckos undergoing "rapid tail regeneration" (Dial and Fitzpatrick 1981). There was no difference recorded for Coleonyx variegatus (Congdon et al 1974; time since autotomy unknown).…”

Section: Tail Autotomy Does Not Change Rmr In Lygodactylus Capensismentioning

confidence: 99%

Jettisoning Ballast or Fuel? Caudal Autotomy and Locomotory Energetics of the Cape Dwarf GeckoLygodactylus capensis(Gekkonidae)

Fleming

Verburgt²,

Scantlebury

et al. 2009

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Many lizard species will shed their tail as a defensive response (e.g., to escape a putative predator or aggressive conspecific). This caudal autotomy incurs a number of costs as a result of loss of the tail itself, loss of resources (i.e., stored in the tail or due to the cost of regeneration), and altered behavior. Few studies have examined the metabolic costs of caudal autotomy. A previous study demonstrated that geckos can move faster after tail loss as a result of reduced weight or friction with the substrate; however, there are no data for the effects of caudal autotomy on locomotory energetics. We examined the effect of tail loss on locomotory costs in the Cape dwarf gecko Lygodactylus capensis (∼0.9 g) using a novel method for collecting data on small lizards, a method previously used for arthropods. We measured CO 2 production during 5-10 min of exhaustive exercise (in response to stimulus) and during a 45-min recovery period. During exercise, we measured speed (for each meter moved) as well as total distance traveled. Contrary to our expectations, tailless geckos overall expended less effort in escape running, moving both slower and for a shorter distance, compared with when they were intact. Tailless geckos also exhibited lower excess CO 2 production (CO 2 production in excess of normal resting metabolic rate) during exercising. This may be due to reduced metabolically active tissue (tails represent 8.7% of their initial body mass). An alternative suggestion is that a change in energy substrate use may take place after tail loss. This is an intriguing finding that warrants future biochemical investigation before we can predict the relative costs of tail loss that lizards might experience under natural conditions.

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Some vaguely explored (but not trivial) costs of tail autotomy in lizards

Cited by 60 publications

References 34 publications

Tail loss and narrow surfaces decrease locomotor stability in the arboreal green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

Tail loss and narrow surfaces decrease locomotor stability in the arboreal green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)

Losing stability: tail loss and jumping in the arboreal lizardAnolis carolinensis

Jettisoning Ballast or Fuel? Caudal Autotomy and Locomotory Energetics of the Cape Dwarf GeckoLygodactylus capensis(Gekkonidae)

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