Partial tail loss has no severe effects on energy stores and locomotor performance in a lacertid lizard, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Takydromus septentrionalis</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Zhi-Hua?Lin Email author" target="_blank">Xiang?JiEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Bioresource Technology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210097, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China;(2) Department of Applied Biology, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China;(3) Present address: School of Life Sciences, Hangzhou Normal College, Hangzhou, 310036, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China |
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Abstract: | Many species of lizards use caudal autotomy as a defense strategy to avoid predation, but tail loss entails costs. These topics
were studied experimentally in the northern grass lizard, Takydromus septentrionalis. We measured lipids in the three-tail segments removed from each of the 20 experimental lizards (adult females) initially
having intact tails to evaluate the effect of tail loss on energy stores; we obtained data on locomotor performance (sprint
speed, the maximal length traveled without stopping and the number of stops in the racetrack) for these lizards before and
after the tail-removing treatments to evaluate the effect of tail loss on locomotor performance. An independent sample of
20 adult females that retained intact tails was measured for locomotor performance to serve as controls for successive measurements
taken for the experimental lizards. The lipids stored in the removed tail was positively correlated with tailbase width when
holding the tail length constant, indicating that thicker tails contained more lipids than did thinner tails of the same overall
length. Most of the lipids stored in the tail were concentrated in the proximal portion of the tail. Locomotor performance
was almost unaffected by tail loss until at least more than 71% of the tail (in length) was lost. Our data show that partial
tail loss due to predatory encounters or other factors may not severely affect energy stores and locomotor performance in
T. septentrionalis. |
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Keywords: | Lacertidae Takydromus septentrionalis Tail autotomy Energy stores Locomotor performance Costs of tail autotomy |
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