| Title: | The role of scent marks in female choice of territories and refuges in a lizard (Podarcis hispanica) |
| Author(s): | Carazo P; Font E; Desfilis E; |
| Address: | "Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biologia Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, Spain. pau.carazo@uv.es" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1939-2087 (Electronic) 0021-9940 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Female mate choice based on male phenotypic traits is controversial in lizards, particularly in territorial species. In this study, we examine female choice of male scent marks in a territorial lacertid lizard (Podarcis hispanica) in which scent marks have been shown to signal male size (i.e., an important determinant of competitive ability in this species). Females were simultaneously exposed to three naturalized 4 m(2) choice areas bearing: (1) no scent marks (i.e., control), (2) scent marks of large males, and (3) scent marks of small males. Although female lizards preferentially associated with scent marked choice areas, we found no evidence that females chose territories marked by large males. Furthermore, in response to experimentally induced dusk at the end of choice trials, females preferentially took shelter in refuges scent marked by small males. Our results suggest that, like males in this species, females are able to use male scent marks to assess the body size of resident territorial males, but do not show a preference for territories occupied by large males" |
| Keywords: | "*Animal Communication Animals *Choice Behavior Ecosystem Female Lizards Male *Mating Preference, Animal *Odorants Pheromones Scent Glands *Territoriality;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineCarazo, Pau Font, Enrique Desfilis, Ester eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2011/05/18 J Comp Psychol. 2011 Aug; 125(3):362-5. doi: 10.1037/a0023404" |
