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Horm Behav

Title:		Female sexual attractiveness and sex recognition in leopard gecko: Males are indiscriminate courters
Author(s):		Schoralkova T; Kratochvil L; Kubicka L;
Address:		"Faculty of Science, Charles University, Department of Ecology, Vinicna 7, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic. Faculty of Science, Charles University, Department of Ecology, Vinicna 7, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic. Electronic address: lukas.kratochvil@natur.cuni.cz"
Journal Title:		Horm Behav
Year:		2018
Volume:		20180312
Issue:
Page Number:		57 - 61
DOI:		10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.01.007
ISSN/ISBN:		1095-6867 (Electronic) 0018-506X (Linking)
Abstract:		"The nature and hormonal control of cues used for recognition of sex and reproductive status of conspecifics remain largely unstudied in reptiles. It has been proposed that production of a female attractiveness pheromone controlled by female ovarian hormones (and which is suppressed by male gonadal androgens) is necessary to elicit courtship in males. In the case of leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), it has been suggested that an individual is recognized as a male and attacked unless it produces female-specific stimuli in its skin and that females are attacked, not courted, while shedding. We tested the reactions of males to control males and control shedding and non-shedding females, castrated males, females treated with exogenous androgens (testosterone and dihydrotestosterone), and prepubertal individuals. The individuals with high androgen levels (i.e., control males and hormone-treated females) were attacked while animals in all the other groups were courted. Our results indicate that in leopard gecko hormonally controlled pheromones advertising female attractiveness are not required and that sex discrimination is based on the presence or absence of cues dependent on masculinization by male gonadal steroids"
Keywords:		"Animals Behavior, Animal/drug effects *Courtship/psychology Dihydrotestosterone/blood/pharmacology Discrimination, Psychological/drug effects/physiology Estradiol/blood/pharmacology Female Lizards/*physiology Male Pattern Recognition, Visual/drug effects/;"
Notes:		"MedlineSchoralkova, Tereza Kratochvil, Lukas Kubicka, Lukas eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2018/02/07 Horm Behav. 2018 Mar; 99:57-61. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.01.007. Epub 2018 Mar 12"