Escape tactics of two syntopic forms of the Lacerta perspicillata complex with different colour patterns

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2006

Autores

carretero, ma (Autor) Outra; vasconcelos, r (Autor) Outra; fonseca, m (Autor) Outra; kaliontzopoulou, a (Autor) Outra; brito, jc (Autor) Outra; harris, dj (Autor) FCUP; perera, a (Autor) Outra

Revista

Título: Canadian Journal of Zoology

Vol. 84

Páginas: 1594-1603

ISSN: 0008-4301

Editora: NRC Research Press

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 7 Citações

Scopus - 6 Citações

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências exactas e naturais > Ciências biológicas

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-004-G6X

DOI: 10.1139/Z06-154

Abstract (EN): It has been suggested that dorsal colour patterns and defence strategies could have coevolved in reptiles, the striped species being more prone to flee compared with the spotted species that rely more on crypsis. Because of the confounding effects of phylogeny and habitat, we compared closely related forms that share the same habitats and predation pressures but display different patterns. The spotted (chabanaudi) and the striped (pellegrini) forms of the Lacerta perspicillata (= Teira perspicillata) Dumeril and Bibron, 1839 complex are reproductively isolated in a locality where they live in syntopy. The responses of lizards to a direct attack by a predator, simulated by the approach of a researcher, were investigated. Both forms displayed divergent antipredatory behaviours (escaping and recovering) to optimize survival. Chabanaudi lizards showed longer approach distances and took more time to abandon shelter than pellegrini lizards when the effects of temperature and of distance fled were removed. Reappearance was related with previous flight in chabanaudi but with thermal quality of the refuge in pellegrini. Although both used similar refuges, chabanaudi selected bigger rocks that were less accessible to terrestrial predators but were more prone to bird attacks, whereas pellegrini selected fragmented rocks that faced more terrestrial predation. Our results support the hypothesis of coevolution between pattern and antipredatory behaviour.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 10