Male southern water skinks (Eulamprus heatwolei) use both visual and chemical cues to detect female sexual receptivity |
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Authors: | Megan L Head J Scott Keogh Paul Doughty |
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Institution: | (1) School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia |
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Abstract: | A wide range of organisms use chemical and visual cues in mate attraction and courtship; however, chemical discrimination
relevant to reproduction and the interplay between these two types of communication are poorly understood in reptiles. We
experimentally tested the ability of male Eulamprus heatwolei, a scincoid lizard, to discriminate between sexually receptive and non-receptive females in two ways. First, we conducted
155 staged encounters between males and females over 29 days to determine the start and the duration of the female receptive
period based on the date of copulations. These data suggest that the receptive period lasted for approximately 7 days in late
October under controlled laboratory conditions. We also recorded 6,330 individual male and female behaviours during these
trials to evaluate the frequency of female courtship and rejection behaviours and the intensity of male courtship behaviour.
Female courtship increased sharply during the receptive period and then diminished. The disparity between female courtship
behaviours and female rejection behaviours was greatest during the receptive period. Male courtship intensity increased sharply
prior to the receptive period, peaked during the receptive period and thereafter declined rapidly. To determine if males were
using visual cues, chemical cues or both from females, we conducted an experiment during and after the receptive period wherein
male lizards were presented with a choice of two retreat sites treated either with the odour of large sexually receptive females,
odour of small sexually non-receptive females or no odour (control). Males preferred the scent of females over the odourless
control, and analysis using a special form of a generalized linear model, the Bradley–Terry model, showed a clear order of
retreat site preferences, with large sexually receptive females favoured over small non-receptive females over the odourless
control. We speculate that males use vision to find females and then use their chemosensory ability to chemically evaluate
female sexual receptivity once the pair are in close proximity. |
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Keywords: | Behavioural ecology Mating system Chemical ecology Courtship |
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