Defensive behaviors and microhabitat use of Tropidurus catalanensis (Squamata, Tropiduridae): body sizes and habitat openness / vegetation cover affect prediction of risk and flight distances

Autor(es)

Maia-Carneiro, Thiago ^[1] ; Langie-Santos, Simone ^[1] ; Navas, Carlos A. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Fisiol, Rua Matao 321, Travessa 14, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: North-Western Journal of Zoology; v. 17, n. 2, p. 204-211, DEC 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 1

Resumo

We investigated microhabitat use and defensive behaviors of Tropidurus catalanensis, adding information to these practically unknown regards. For each individual caught after visual encounter, we recorded snout-vent length, body mass, substrate and body temperatures, distance from vegetation, distance from a shelter, types of shelter, substrates occupied before and after escaping, flight initiation distance (distance between predator and prey when escaping starts), distance fled (distance ran for escaping), and final flight distance (flight initiation distance plus distance fled). Lizards remained motionless after perceiving the presence of the potential predator trying to keep cryptic and less detectable and monitoring the attacker movements. Longer and heavier individuals tended to run longer distances to avoid threats because were most noticeable and easily detected due to the conspicuousness of their body sizes. During the same period, larger lizards, being faster, were capable to run longer distances than smaller ones. The final flight distance tended to increase as the flight initiation distance and the distances fled increased, allowing to achieve adequate margins of safety. Both before and after fleeing, T. catalanensis used mainly rocks. Differences in their prediction of risk made lizards stop closer to woody shelters, and further from the sand, running longer distances to escape. Individuals also may have shown longer distance fled on sand because were less camouflaged there than on rocks. Predictions of risk and fear of lizards increased according to body size and distance from safe places covered by vegetation and near shelters due to microhabitat openness, affecting defensive behaviors of immobility and escape. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/23599-3 - Respostas fisiológicas e comportamentais de lagartos a alterações na qualidade alimentar e nos ambientes térmicos: uma abordagem da Fisiologia da Conservação frente à mudança climática global
• Beneficiário: Thiago Maia Ney Carneiro
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 14/16320-7 - Impactos das mudanças climáticas e ambientais sobre a fauna: uma abordagem integrativa
• Beneficiário: Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa de Pesquisa sobre Mudanças Climáticas Globais - Temático