鳄蜥对熟悉和陌生个体气味的辨别

个体辨别对于减少同种争斗以及配偶选择具有重要意义。我们用棉棒粘取鳄蜥(Shinisaurus crocodilurus)尿液作为气味源,以香水作为对照,测定鳄蜥对熟悉个体气味、陌生个体气味以及香水的舔舌次数和舔舌潜伏期,来探讨鳄蜥通过化学信息辨别熟悉和陌生个体的能力。结果显示,不论是雌性还是雄性,对不同个体尿液的舔舌次数均显著高于对香水的,舔舌潜伏期显著短于香水的;尽管雄性对陌生同性个体气味与熟悉同性个体气味的舔舌次数无显著差异,但对前者的舔舌潜伏期显著短于后者;雄性对陌生雌性气味的舔舌次数显著多于熟悉雌性气味的,对前者的舔舌潜伏期显著短于后者;雌性对陌生雄性气味的舔舌潜伏期显著短于对熟悉雄性气味的;雄鳄蜥对陌生雌性气味的舔舌次数显著多于雌鳄蜥对陌生雄性的。结果表明,鳄蜥能辨别同种个体的化学信息,并能通过化学信息来辨别熟悉和陌生个体,推测鳄蜥的这种辨别能力对其领域分配以及繁殖交配有重要作用。

Odours Discrimination between Familiar and Unfamiliar Individuals by Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)

Chemical discrimination is important for reptiles in reducing population competition and mating choice. In order to understand the discriminating ability of Crocodile Lizard(Shinisaurus crocodilurus)on familiar and unfamiliar individual through chemical cues,we used cotton swabs containing perfume(cologne),chemical stimuli from urine of familiar and unfamiliar individuals as chemical odours,to test the discrimination ability of lizard by counting the times of tongue flicking and latency duration. Both of male and female Crocodile Lizards flicked their tongue much higher frequency when they were served cotton swabs with familiar and unfamiliar odours than they did with cologne;the latency time toward familiar and unfamiliar odours were significantly shorter than that toward cologne. However,the tongue-flick frequency of males toward unfamiliar and familiar male odour was not significant difference,but males exhibited a much shorter latency time toward the former than they did toward the latter. Males licked their tongue more frequency at shorter latency time when they tested unfamiliar female odours than they did with familiar female odour. Female responded to familiar male odour was significantly shorter than they did to unfamiliar male odour. Male licked their tongue with a significant higher frequency in responding to unfamiliar female odour than female did to unfamiliar male odour. The results showed that the Crocodile Lizard could discriminate conspecific chemical cues from control cues,and could discriminate familiar and unfamiliar ones from chemical cues. This ability of discrimination familiar and unfamiliar ones may play important role in holding territory and in finding mating chance.