Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) chemical signals. I. Conspecific discriminations and release of a species-typical visual display

✍ Scribed by Duvall, David

• Book ID: 102335309
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 427 KB
• Volume: 210
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1402100215

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, were exposed to markings, droppings, and exudates (e.g., femoral and proctodeal gland secretions, and feces) collected from conspecific males and females in a chemicalcue, simultaneous discrimination procedure. Females performed no discrimination between unmarked brick surfaces and those labelled by conspecifics of either sex, as indexed by relative numbers of substrate licks or tongue flicks. Males performed significantly more of these actions to male‐ but not female‐labelled surfaces. Immediately subsequent to licks of labelled surfaces, but never after licks of unlabelled surfaces, both sexes performed push‐ups, a visual display in this genus. These findings suggest that these lizards are capable of discriminating and utilizing chemical signals as a mode of social communication, and that chemical signals alone are capable of releasing a visual display from conspecifics.