Effects of feral cats on the evolution of anti-predator behaviours in island reptiles: insights from an ancient introduction |
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Authors: | Binbin Li Anat Belasen Panayiotis Pafilis Peter Bednekoff Johannes Foufopoulos |
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Institution: | 1.School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;2.Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;3.Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Athens 15784, Greece;4.Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA |
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Abstract: | Exotic predators have driven the extinction of many island species. We examined impacts of feral cats on the abundance and anti-predator behaviours of Aegean wall lizards in the Cyclades (Greece), where cats were introduced thousands of years ago. We compared populations with high and low cat density on Naxos Island and populations on surrounding islets with no cats. Cats reduced wall lizard populations by half. Lizards facing greater risk from cats stayed closer to refuges, were more likely to shed their tails in a standardized assay, and fled at greater distances when approached by either a person in the field or a mounted cat decoy in the laboratory. All populations showed phenotypic plasticity in flight initiation distance, suggesting that this feature is ancient and could have helped wall lizards survive the initial introduction of cats to the region. Lizards from islets sought shelter less frequently and often initially approached the cat decoy. These differences reflect changes since islet isolation and could render islet lizards strongly susceptible to cat predation. |
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Keywords: | anti-predator behaviour flight initiation distance phenotypic plasticity feral cat Podarcis erhardii island endemics |
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