Chemoreceptive and behavioural responses of the common lizard Lacerta vivipara to snake chemical deposits |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Laboratório de Crustáceos Decápodes, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, FURG. Av. Itália, km 8, CEP: 96203-000, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil;2. Laboratório de Ecologia Molecular Marinha, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, FURG. Av. Itália, km 8, CEP: 96203-000, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil;3. Laboratório de Genética, bloco 5, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, FURG. Av. Itália, km 8, CEP: 96203-000, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil;1. Centre for Mathematical Medicine and Biology, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, UK;2. College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, UK;1. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic;2. Institute of Applied Mathematics and Information Technologies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague, Czech Republic;1. Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA;2. Institute of Sport Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, 40-065 Katowice, Poland;3. Department of Psychology, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112, USA;1. Laboratory of Paper Coating and Converting, Centre for Functional Materials, Abo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500 Turku, Finland;2. Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Biology, Gadjah Mada University, Jl. Teknika Selatan, Sekip Utara, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia;3. Laboratory of Animal Structure and Development, Faculty of Biology, Gadjah Mada University, Jl. Teknika Selatan, Sekip Utara, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia;1. Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur (INBIOSUR), Universidad Nacional del Sur, UNS-CONICET, San Juan 670, CP 800, Bahía Blanca, Argentina;2. Laboratorio de Biología Reproductiva & Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET-UNC and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina |
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| Abstract: | Behavioural cues were used to assay the capacity of common lizards to detect chemical deposits of snakes. The lizards were observed in cages that had been previously inhabited either by one of two species of snake that feed on lizards (the viper Vipera berus and the smooth snake Coronella austriaca), or the grass snake (Natrix natrix), which does not feed on lizards. As a control, the lizards were tested both in a clean cage and in one sprayed with a pungent odorant. The lizards responded to the snakes' chemicals by increased tongue-flick rates, with the highest rates being given in response to the deposits of their predators. The chemosensory examination of the snakes' odours induced a shift in general behaviour in response to the predator, but not to the non-predator chemical cues. This behavioural response consisted mainly of a disruption of the locomotor patterns. Our findings strongly suggest that lizards detected and distinguished between the chemicals deposited by three species of snake. Behavioural performances were highly variable among individual lizards in all trials, but the relative scores of individuals tended to be similar in response to different stimuli. |
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