Lizards and landscapes: integrating field surveys and interviews to assess the impact of human disturbance on lizard assemblages and selected reptiles in a savanna in South Africa
Habitat degradation through over-grazing and wood collection is especially prevalent in developing countries such as South Africa. As human populations expand and the demand for land increases, the traditional idiom of setting aside protected areas for conservation is insufficient and assessment and protection of diversity outside these areas is needed. We assessed the impact of […]
Carotenoids, vitamin A, and vitamin E concentrations during egg development in panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis)
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10039.abs Insects are known to be poor sources of preformed vitamin A, leading to the speculation that insectivorous species, including reptiles, may be able to convert carotenoid precursors to meet dietary requirements for this nutrient. This study was conducted to indirectly evaluate carotenoid and vitamin A metabolism in the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis). Eggs […]
Ultraviolet light and heat source selection in captive spiny-tailed iguanas (Oplurus cuvieri)
Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1997)16:53.3.CO;2-G Three experimental manipulations were conducted to assess the influence of heat source selection and active thermoregulation on ultraviolet (UV) light exposure in captive spiny-tailed iguanas (Oplurus cuvieri) at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Four replicates per manipulation were conducted on six individual lizards. All animals were tested in a separate enclosure to which […]
Differential resource use, growth, and the ontogeny of social relationships in the green iguana
Growth rates, resource use, and ontogeny of behavior patterns were examined in captive groups of juvenile green iguanas (Iguana iguana). Four groups were housed in large arenas where supplemental heat and perch sites were limited, whereas two control groups were housed in similar arenas without limited resources. Growth, frequency and types of displays, behavioral interactions, […]
Non-lethal effects of predators on body growth and health state of juvenile lizards, Psammdromus algirus
Predation risk does not necessarily increase predation rates because prey may be able to behave differentially to cope with higher predation risk. However, antipredatory behaviors may be costly, leading to negative, although non-lethal, effects of predators on prey. We examined in outdoor enclosures whether an experimental increase in predation pressure, which did not increase direct […]
Stimulus control of predatory behavior by the Iberian wall lizard (Podarcis hispanica, Sauria, Lacertidae): Effects of familiarity with prey
The authors examine the relative roles of vision and chemoreception and the influence of previous experience with prey on the predatory behavior of Iberian wall lizards (Podarcis hispanica). Experiment 1 compared the responses to visual, chemical, and a combination of visual and chemical cues of a familiar prey by 2 groups of lizards that had […]
Iberian Rock Lizards (Lacerta monticola) Assess Short-Term Changes in Predation Risk Level When Deciding Refuge Use
Prey might assess that risk level estimated in the first encounter with a predator was fixed in subsequent responses, whereas prey using flexible behavior would track short-term changes in risk. The authors examined, in the field, refuge use of Iberian rock lizards (Lacerta monticola) after simulated predator attacks and tested (a) how risk was assessed […]
The evolution of reptilian social behavior
Reptiles display a diversity of behavior that is reflective of their evolutionary heritage from fish and amphibians and their ancestral contribution to the diversity found in birds and mammals. Much of the behavior observed in reptiles seems specific to the ecological setting within which they live. As a result, a diversity of behavior is found […]
Is behavioural enrichment always a success? Comparing food presentation strategies in an insectivorous lizard (Plica plica)
Staggering food availability through a delivery device is a common way of providing behavioural enrichment as it is usually thought to increase the amount of natural behaviour due to the unpredictability of the food source. Tree-runner lizards (Plica plica) are a Neotropical, scansorial, insectivorous species. We provided these lizards with an enrichment device that slowly […]