发情交配期贺兰山岩羊的集群特征

2003 年和2004 年的11 ～12 月,采用样线法和全事件取样法研究了贺兰山岩羊的集群特征。共观察到岩羊715 群,共计2 473只。发情前期平均群大小3.5±2.8 只(n = 241),发情期平均群大小3.4±3.2 只(n =297)。发情前期与发情期雄性群、雌性群、雌雄群、混合群及母子群大小间均无显著差异。发情前期到发情期群类型组成差异极显著,发情期雌雄群、混合群和独羊比例显著上升;雄性群、雌性群和母子群比例显著下降。发情前期到发情期,雄性岩羊在雄性群、雌雄群、混合群和独羊中的分布差异极显著,成年雌性岩羊在雌性群、雌雄群、混合群、母子群和独羊中的分布差异极显著。发情期4 个年龄等级雄性在雄性群、雌雄群、混合群和独羊中分布差异极显著,4 个年龄等级雄性岩羊都倾向分布于混合群。
     

春冬两季贺兰山岩羊集群特征的比较

20 0 3年 1 1～ 1 2月和 2 0 0 4年 4～ 6月在贺兰山国家级自然保护区对岩羊 (Pseudoisnayaur)春冬两季集群行为进行了初步研究。春季观察到的 2 1 8群 1 3 70只岩羊样本和冬季观察到的 3 1 0群 1 3 3 6只岩羊样本进行了比较 ,发现春季平均岩羊群大小为 (5. 5 7± 5 .3 8)只 ,冬季平均岩羊群大小为 (4. 2 9± 5 . 48)只 ,春冬两季岩羊集群大小季节性变化不显著 (P >0. 0 5 )。贺兰山岩羊在春冬两季 2～ 8只的群所占比例均居多 (春季 :85 . 3 % ;冬季 94 8% )。春季贺兰山岩羊群以雌性群 (4 0 . 3 % ,n =88)为主 ,冬季以混合群(4 9 7% ,n =1 5 4)和雌性群 (4 8 4% ,n=1 5 0 )为主。春冬两季雌性群平均大小间 (P >0 . 0 5 ) ,雄性群平均大小间 (P >0 . 0 5 )和混合群平均大小间 (P >0 . 0 5 )均无显著性差异。将春季和冬季贺兰山岩羊的雌雄比与雌幼比相比 ,春季观察到的雄性个体偏多 ,冬季观察到的幼体较春季多。     

贺兰山岩羊（Pseudois nayaur）集群特征的季节变化

2004年11月～2005年10月,在贺兰山对岩羊(Pseudois nayaur)的集群行为进行了研究,将其集群类型划分为雌性群、雄性群、雌雄群、母仔群、混合群和独羊6种类型.共观察到岩羊1 023群次,计4 866只次,平均群大小为(4.86±2.54)只,最大的群为51只,最小的为独羊.其中,母仔群459群(44.87%)为最多的集群类型,其余为混合群(20.72%)、雄性群(14.86%)、独羊(9.09%)、雌雄群(5.57%)、雌性群(4.89%).母仔群出现的频次在4个季节均最高,除母仔群外,春季雄性群出现的频次最高,而夏、秋、冬季都是混合群出现的频次最高,不同类型集群出现频次的季节间差异极显著.在4个季节中都以2～5只的群居多,其出现的频次占各季节群数50%以上,不同季节群大小差异极显著,而不同集群类型群大小季节间不存在显著差异.除独羊外,不同季节混合群大小差异极显著,母仔群、雌性群大小差异显著,而雄性群、雌雄群大小无显著差异.研究结果显示,贺兰山岩羊集小群是其显著特点,随着季节的变化,其集群类型、集群大小均会发生一定的变化.     

贺兰山岩羊种群结构的季节性变化

2001年3月至2002年2月,每月定期在固定的样线上,采用样线法对贺兰山3929只岩羊种群结构进行调查。小群体是贺兰山岩羊种群的基本特征,全年群平均数为5．5只,独羊全年存在,以雄性成体为主,在雌性群中,母仔群全年稳定,占雌性群的44．0％。岩羊雌性群群体大小平均3．5只,雄性群群体平均4．5只,混合群群体平均8．0只;全年雌性多于雄性,雌性群小于雄性群。群体表现为雌性群群体小,群体数量多;混合群体大,群体数量少。混合群群体大小范围离散,雄性群次之,雌性群群体范围变化最小。全年雌幼比为100：48。雌雄性比全年100：71,其中,2～6月份,雌雄性比为100：130～155;7—12月份,雌雄性比为100：43．68。另外,中还指出3．5～8．5龄雄羊占63．9％,1．5～3．5龄和超过8．5龄老年雄性岩羊所占的百分率明显较少。     

青藏高原异地半圈养藏羚警戒行为的适应性研究

行为是反映动物应对环境变化的最直接形式。动物可以根据周围环境条件的变化以及自身的生理状况来调整行为,异地放养是保护珍稀动物的有效方法,但必然会对其行为产生影响。为了探讨藏羚(Pantholops hodgsonii)对异地环境的行为学适应,对异地圈养藏羚的警戒行为进行了不同季节间的比较研究,采用全事件记录法和焦点动物取样法,记录和统计了异地圈养藏羚在冷季和暖季的警戒行为,进而推测其对人类干扰的行为适应性。研究结果表明,雌性和雄性藏羚的警戒时间及警戒比例(警戒时间占全天活动时间的比例)在暖季存在显著差异(警戒时间:Z=4.36,P<0.05;警戒比例:Z=4.559,P<0.05),而在冷季则无差异(警戒时间:Z=0.001,P>0.05;警戒比例:Z=0.0014,P>0.05);而季节差异对雌、雄性藏羚的警戒时间、警戒比例均具有极显著的影响(雄性-警戒时间:F=31.758,P<0.01;警戒比例:F=21.768,P<0.01;雌性-警戒时间:F=14.98,P<0.01;警戒比例:F=11.05,P<0.01);但是季节和性别对藏羚警戒行为的影响没有交互作用(Z=?0.576,P>0.05)。这些结果提示异地圈养藏羚警戒行为的变化可能是对陌生环境适应的结果。     

矮岩羊夏季活动节律、时间分配和集群行为

采用扫描取样法（每隔10 min进行一次扫描纪录,记录时间为5 min）对36只矮岩羊夏季昼间节律与时间分配进行了观察和研究,将矮岩羊行为划分为取食、移动、站立、卧息和其他行为等5类。结果表明,矮岩羊在夏季有3个取食高峰（6：00－9：00、10：00－11：00和16：00－20：00）;1个卧息高峰（11：00－15：00）。在时间分配上,用于取食的时间最多（30.14±3.32）%,其次是卧息（26.44±3.59）%,站立（24.90±4.27）%,移动（15.73±1.26）%,而用于其他行为的时间,仅占（2.82±1.00）%。通过不同个体的比较,发现成年雄性用于取食和站立的时间最多,幼体用于移动和其他行为的时间最多,成年雌性用于卧息的时间最多。在矮岩羊集群方面,其集群类型有：混合群、母仔群、雄性群、雌性群和独羊,在夏季集群平均大小为（7.81±8.42）只,2~8只的羊群,占总群数的54.05%;不同集群类型的大小差异极显著（χ2=13.197,d&#402;=3,P=0.004）,混合群群体最大,而雄性群最小;雌雄比为1∶0.54,雌幼比为1∶0.26,成幼比为1∶0.17。这些都说明矮岩羊这类独特的行为和种群特征是长期适应金沙江干热河谷的结果。     

洞庭湖区自然野化麋鹿种群的偏性扩散行为

大多数鹿科动物表现出偏向雄性的扩散行为。麋鹿(Elaphurus davidianus)于20世纪初在中国灭绝,1985年被重引入中国。1998年长江流域特大洪水导致部分麋鹿个体从湖北石首麋鹿国家级自然保护区围栏内外逸,最终在洞庭湖区形成自然野化种群。野化麋鹿是否也存在偏性扩散行为?1995—2012年,采用样带调查法、分区直数法、特殊个体识别法和访问调查法,按性别组成将扩散群分为雄性群、混合群和雌性群,对洞庭湖区自然野化麋鹿种群的扩散行为进行了研究,共记录到118次扩散。其中,有65次扩散可确认扩散群的类型;60次可确认扩散群准确的个体数。结果显示:(1)雄性麋鹿较雌性更倾向于扩散。雄性群的扩散频次高于雌性群和混合群;50%的雄性扩散群仅由单一成年雄体组成。(2)雄性麋鹿的扩散能力最强,雄性群、混合群和雌性群的平均扩散距离分别为(13.73±8.74)km、(11.05±4.16)km和(8.95±2.16)km,但三者之间的差异不显著(χ2=1.896,df=2,P=0.387)。雌性群和混合群的扩散距离均短于25km,而5.88%的雄性群扩散距离长于25 km。(3)雄性群的平均个体数与混合群的差异显著(F=5.324,df=24,P=0.000.05),与雌性群的差异不显著(F=9.830,df=35,P=0.813),而混合群与雌性群之间的差异显著(F=48.085,df=55,P=0.000.05)。(4)50.00%的雄性群和53.57%的混合群选择芦苇草地作为扩散目的地的生境。洞庭湖区自然野化麋鹿种群与其他野生鹿科动物一样,也存在"雄鹿较雌鹿更倾向于扩散"的现象,雄性的扩散能力比雌性强,雌性的扩散可能依赖于雄性。以上结果对麋鹿的野外放归和自然野化种群的管理与保护具有重要的意义。     

黄山短尾猴社群中的架桥行为

2007年3~5月,采用随机取样法对黄山短尾猴(Macaca thibetana)YA1群架桥行为进行研究。结果表明,不同时间段架桥行为发生次数存在极显著差异(t=3.912,df=10,P<0.01)。成年组雄性个体是主要发起者(Z=-2.1888,P<0.05)和接受者(Z=-2.5238,P<0.05),但同年龄组不同性别个体发起次数(Z=-1.755,P>0.05)无显著差异,接受次数(Z=-2.201,P<0.05)差异显著。架桥行为多采用雄性婴幼猴(Z=-2.437,P<0.05)(F=6.735,df=2,P<0.05)作为媒介,母亲序位影响婴幼猴在架桥中被使用的次数(Z=-3.724,P<0.01)。不同序位雄性(F=2.947,df=4,P<0.05)和雌性个体(F=5.320,df=4,P<0.05)架桥行为发起模式主要是第Ⅰ类。雌性个体选择具有亲缘关系的个体作为架桥媒介(Z=-2.490,P<0.05),但雄性个体对母系亲属后代无明显选择性(Z=-0.866,P>0.05)。短期研究表明,黄山短尾猴社群中的架桥行为主要采用第Ⅰ类模式;亲缘关系不一定是影响架桥行为媒介选择的主要因素;架桥行为具有缓解群体间竞争压力的作用。     

江西鄱阳湖流域中华秋沙鸭越冬期间的集群特征

2010年11月—2011年3月,采用样线法对江西鄱阳湖流域8个河段的中华秋沙鸭Mergus squamatus的集群特征进行了研究。中华秋沙鸭的集群类型包括雄性群、雌性群、混合群、雌性孤鸭和雄性孤鸭5种类型。越冬期间共记录到89群次,432只次中华秋沙鸭。其中,混合群是最多的一种集群方式,孤鸭也是越冬期间出现频次较高的一种特殊的集群方式。集群类型存在时间变化(P<0.01)。混合群中,大多数群体中雌性个体数多于雄性个体或者是一雌一雄。89群次中,孤鸭和2—8只群占总群数的87.64%,提示中华秋沙鸭主要以集小群分散活动。中华秋沙鸭越冬期间的群体大小是(4.85±4.97)只/群。不同集群类型的群体大小差异较大。集群大小可能与采砂、捕鱼、食物的丰富度等环境因子有关。调查结果显示,中华秋沙鸭越冬期间的性比是1∶0.74(n=432)。中华秋沙鸭群体大小与性比有一定的关系。     

季节、性别和群体大小对鹅喉羚警戒行为的影响

动物通过集群降低个体警戒时间,从而增加采食等行为时间,这种现象被称为" 群体效应" 。除群体大小
外,社会及环境因子如季节与性别也可能影响个体警戒水平。本文于2007 年至2009 年在新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类
野生动物保护区采用焦点动物取样法,通过测定鹅喉羚警戒行为比例、平均每次警戒持续时间及10 min内警戒频
率,研究了季节、性别及群体大小对鹅喉羚个体警戒水平的影响,并验证群体效应。结果表明:由于季节更替
而产生的生物量的变化对鹅喉羚个体警戒水平无显著影响;在秋冬季除雄性外,鹅喉羚个体警戒水平均有随群
体增大而降低的趋势,但这种趋势并不十分明显。性别则显著影响其警戒水平,夏季由于雌性羚羊处于哺乳期,
因而其警戒水平显著高于雄性(P < 0.05);受繁殖行为影响,冬季雄性比雌性警觉性更高(P > 0. 05);春秋季
两性间警戒水平没有差异(P >0.05)。不同生理周期是导致鹅喉羚育幼期雌性及繁殖期雄性个体警戒水平发生
显著变化的重要因子。     

Different factors that modify anti-predator behaviour in guanacos (Lama guanicoe)

Animals optimize the trade-off between the cost of not fleeing and the benefits of staying because the factors that influence flight decisions and the disturbance level of a particular stimulus can vary both spatially and temporally. Different factors (human impact and habitat characteristics) likely to modify anti-predator behaviour in different types of guanaco social groups were analysed. We found that group size was conditioned by high poaching, vehicle traffic, predation risk and vegetation density. Solitary adult males showed shorter alert and flight initiation distances than bachelor and mixed groups. Alert distance was greater during the summer season, and assessment times were shorter when young were present in the groups. In high-predation-risk environments, guanacos detected threats at greater distances and flight initiation distance was longer. Alert distances were shorter on steeper sloped hills and assessment times were shorter in areas with irregular topography than on flat sites. In high traffic areas, flight initiation distance was longer and assessment times were shorter. And in areas with low poaching intensity, assessment times were greater than in those with high poaching levels. Therefore, guanacos may be able to evaluate a true threat. Social group and anti-predator responses were conditioned by habitat characteristics and human impact. We consider that plasticity of responses could be key to the survival of guanacos.     

Trophy hunting and perceived risk in closed ecosystems: Flight behaviour of three gregarious African ungulates in a semi‐arid tropical savanna

Although being an important conservation tool in Africa, trophy hunting is known to influence risk perception in wildlife species, thus affecting the behaviour and fitness of most targeted species. We studied the effects of trophy hunting on the flight behaviour of impala (Aepyceros melampus), greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and sable (Hippotragus niger) in two closed ecosystems, Cawston Ranch (hunting area) and Stanley and Livingstone Private Game Reserve (tourist area), western Zimbabwe. Using standardized field procedures, we assessed the flight behavioural responses of the three species in two seasons: non‐hunting (December–March) and hunting (April–November) between March 2013 and November 2014. We tested the effect of habitat, group size, sex, season, start distance and alert distance on flight initiation distance using linear mixed models. Habitat, group size sex and alert distance did not have any effect on flight initiation distance for the three species. The three species were more alert and displayed longer flight initiation distances in the hunting area compared with the tourist area. Flight initiation distances for the three species were higher during the hunting season for the hunting area and low during the non‐hunting season. Flight distances of the three species did not differ between the hunting area and the tourist area. We concluded that trophy hunting increased perceived risk of wild ungulates in closed hunting areas, whereas ungulates in non‐hunting areas are less responsive and somehow habituated to human presence. Management plans should include minimum approach distances by tourists as well as establishing seasonal restrictions on special zones to promote species viability. Research aimed at integrating behavioural responses with physiological aspects of target species should be promoted to ensure that managers are able to deal with the behavioural trade‐offs of trophy hunting at local and regional scale.     

Cooperative vigilance: the guanaco's (Lama guanicoe) key antipredator mechanism

The concept of sociality has been associated with the effectiveness of antipredator mechanisms, like cooperative vigilance and the dilution effect. Lama guanicoe (guanaco) is a social native herbivore in South America and a social species. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the antipredator responses of different-sized groups of guanacos in areas with varying predation risks and to determine antipredator mechanisms in guanacos. For this, we measured different antipredator responses to a potential predator (human subjects). Detection of predator and flight distances from predator both increased with a greater number of guanacos per group and with greater distances among guanacos within the social group. Both buffer distance and flight time decreased with a greater number of guanacos per group, but increased with greater distances among guanacos inside the social group. Solitary adult males moved shorter distance and mixed groups moved greater distances. Flight distances were greater in areas with tall and dense vegetation than in areas with low vegetation. Buffer distance and flight time were shorter in undulating land than on flat lands, and groups were usually observed on hill slopes. Our results suggest that the benefit of social grouping in guanacos is the increased probability of avoiding predator with cooperative vigilance and not with the dilution effect. This means that a predator could be detected earlier when approaching a guanaco group than when approaching a solitary individuals and could thus be avoided.     

道路交通对鹅喉羚昼间集群特征和警戒行为的影响

分析道路交通对濒危有蹄类动物行为模式的影响,阐明其行为反馈与适应机制,对制定道路工程干扰下濒危物种的保护方案具有重要意义。2015年和2016年6—8月,调查了国道216线白昼运营对新疆卡拉麦里山有蹄类野生动物自然保护区鹅喉羚(Gazella subgutturosa)集群特征和警戒行为的影响。研究发现,国道216线的扰动导致鹅喉羚集群规模显著增加;随着距国道216线距离越近,鹅喉羚警戒行为投入时间越多,距离道路500m可能是国道216线对鹅喉羚集群和警戒行为影响的阈值。本研究结果表明,道路带来的人为干扰与捕食风险相似,迫使鹅喉羚调节其集群规模和警戒水平。未来应加强道路等交通工程影响下保护区内野生动物的行为反馈和适应机制研究,据此提出减缓措施,降低道路对野生动物的负面影响。     

Influences of Mating Group Composition on the Behavioral Time-Budget of Male and Female Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) during the Rut

During the rut, polygynous ungulates gather in mixed groups of individuals of different sex and age. Group social composition, which may vary on a daily basis, is likely to have strong influences on individual’s time-budget, with emerging properties at the group-level. To date, few studies have considered the influence of group composition on male and female behavioral time budget in mating groups. Focusing on a wild population of Alpine ibex, we investigated the influence of group composition (adult sex ratio, the proportion of dominant to subordinate males, and group size) on three behavioral axes obtained by Principal Components Analysis, describing male and female group time-budget. For both sexes, the first behavioral axis discerned a trade-off between grazing and standing/vigilance behavior. In females, group vigilance behavior increased with increasingly male-biased sex ratio, whereas in males, the effect of adult sex ratio on standing/vigilance behavior depended on the relative proportion of dominant males in the mating group. The second axis characterized courtship and male-male agonistic behavior in males, and moving and male-directed agonistic behavior in females. Mating group composition did not substantially influence this axis in males. However, moving and male-directed agonistic behavior increased at highly biased sex ratios (quadratic effect) in females. Finally, the third axis highlighted a trade-off between moving and lying behavior in males, and distinguished moving and female-female agonistic behavior from lying behavior in females. For males, those behaviors were influenced by a complex interaction between group size and adult sex ratio, whereas in females, moving and female-female agonistic behaviors increased in a quadratic fashion at highly biased sex ratios, and also increased with increasing group size. Our results reveal complex behavioral trade-offs depending on group composition in the Alpine ibex, and emphasize the importance of social factors in influencing behavioral time-budgets of wild ungulates during the rut.     

Evidence of effects of human disturbance on alert response in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus)

To understand effects of human disturbance on alert response of Père David's deer, we carried out an experiment in the Dafeng Père David's Deer Reserve (32°59′–33°03′N, 120°47′–120°53′E), China. In the spring and summer, we observed alert responses (including stare, walking away, and flee) of deer and recorded the intensity of tourist disturbance in a small display pen using a laser‐range finder to measure the alert distance of a free‐ranging group in a large enclosure. We also recorded the pattern of head orientation when deer were resting in these two deer groups. After statistical analysis, we found that: 1) in small pen, the frequency of alert response was significantly different among different intensities of human disturbance; strong disturbance resulted in higher frequency of alert response; 2) stare distance in the free‐ranging group in summer was significantly longer than that in spring, but the distance of walking away and the distance of flee showed no significant difference between the two seasons; and 3) in free‐ranging group, there was no significant directional difference in head orientation, whereas in display group, there was a significant directional difference in head orientation. We suggest that: 1) under the captive situation, human disturbance may be one of the factors that affect alert response in Père David's deer; and 2) Père David's deer adopted different alert response to adapt to human disturbance under different circumstance. We recommended that relationships between alert response and human disturbance should be considered in ex situ conservation of this field extinct deer. Zoo Biol 26:461–470, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Vigilance behavior during the birth and lactation season in naturally occurring ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) at the Beza-Mahafaly Reserve,Madagascar

I examined the vigilance behavior of adult males and females in two groups of ring-tailed lemurs(Lemur catta)during the birth and lactation season at the Beza-Mahafaly Reserve, southwestern Madagascar. I found no sex difference with respect to the rates of overall vigilance, rates of vigilance toward a potential predator or unfamiliar sound, or rates of vigilance toward conspecifics from other social groups, nor were there sex differences in the percentage of time spent vigilant in any of the above categories. Higher-ranking females were vigilant significantly more often toward predators or potential predators than lower-ranking females were. I detected no relationship between vigilance behavior and dominance rank among adult males. The alpha female in each group exhibited significantly more vigilance behavior than all other members of her group. It was predicted that males should exhibit more vigilance behavior than females do, particularly during the birth and lactation season, when predator pressure is high, if they are benefiting females in this respect. I discuss the results in the context of this prediction and in terms of how ring-tailed lemur males benefit females, and why they may be tolerated in social groups.     

Why Be Vigilant? The Case of the Alpha Animal

We compared patterns of vigilance behavior in a male- and a female-dominant species—white-faced capuchins and ring-tailed lemurs—and used the results to test four hypotheses to explain vigilance behavior in primates. Adult male white-faced capuchins spent significantly more time vigilant than females did, and much male vigilance appeared to be directed toward males from other social groups. This finding supports the protection of paternity hypothesis. No sex difference existed in vigilance behavior among the ring-tailed lemurs, and subjects of both sexes exhibited more vigilance toward predators/potential predators than toward extragroup conspecifics, which supports the predator detection hypothesis. A trade-off argument, suggesting that females tolerate males in a group in return for greater male vigilance, does not apply to ring-tailed lemurs in our study. In both the male-dominant capuchins and the female-dominant ring-tailed lemurs, the alpha subject in the majority of the study groups was significantly more vigilant than other group members were. In white-faced capuchins, the alpha male mates more often than subordinate males do; therefore, the greater degree of vigilance exhibited by the alpha male may correspond to the protection of his reproductive investment. In ring-tailed lemurs, there can be more than one matriline in a group. Thus, the greater amount of vigilance behavior exhibited by the alpha female may be related to protection of her matriline, which could ultimately lead to greater inclusive fitness. Alpha subjects in our study groups exhibited certain behaviors more frequently or exclusively. Accordingly, there may be a constellation of behaviors characteristic of alpha animals.     

Vigilance in Przewalski's gazelle: effects of sex, predation risk and group size

Vigilance in social animals is often aimed at detecting predators. Many social and environmental factors influence vigilance, including sex, predation risk and group size. During the summer of 2007, we studied Przewalski's gazelle Procapra przewalskii , an endemic ungulate to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, to test whether and how these three factors affect vigilance. We distinguished groups consisting of males, mothers with lambs and females without lambs making observations on groups in the presence or absence of nearby predators. We assessed the group-size effect on vigilance and how this varied with levels of predation risk and sex. Males and mothers scanned longer and with a higher frequency than females without lambs. Individuals were more vigilant under direct predation threat. Although vigilance generally decreased with group size, the extent of the decrease was independent of predation risk and was not significant in males. The results suggest that mothers are more vigilant suggesting greater vulnerability and that males may have increased their vigilance to compete for higher social ranks. The positive correlation between vigilance and predation risk and the negative correlation between vigilance and group size are consistent with earlier findings, but we failed to find an interaction between group size and predation risk on vigilance perhaps because vigilance levels are low even in small groups, thus making similar vigilant upward adjustments in both small and large groups.     

Influence of Some Potential Predation Risk Factors and Interaction between Predation Risk and Cost of Fleeing on Escape by the Lizard Sceloporus virgatus

Escape theory predicts that flight initiation distance (predator–prey distance when escape begins) increases as predation risk increases and decreases as cost of fleeing increases. Scant information is available about the effects of some putative predation risk factors and about interaction between simultaneously operating risk and cost of fleeing factors on flight initiation distance and distance fled. By simulating an approaching predator, I studied the effects of body temperature (BT), distance to nearest refuge, and eye contact with a predator, as well as simultaneous effects of predator approach speed and female presence/absence on escape behavior by a small ectothermic vertebrate, the lizard Sceloporus virgatus. Flight initiation distance decreased as BT increased, presumably because running speed increases as BT increases, facilitating escape. Distance to nearest refuge was unrelated to BT or flight initiation distance. Substrate temperature was only marginally related, and air temperature was not related to flight initiation distance. Eye contact did not affect flight initiation during indirect approaches that bypassed lizards by a minimum of 1 m, but an effect of eye contact found in other studies during direct approach might occur. Predator approach speed and presence of a female interactively affected flight initiation distance, which increased as speed increased and decreased when a female was present. In the presence of a female, flight initiation distance was far shorter than when no female was present. The high cost of forgoing a mating opportunity accounts for the interaction because the difference between female presence and absence is greater when risk is greater.