Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Deterring predators, daunting opponents or drawing partners? Signaling rates across diverse contexts in the lizard Anolis sagrei

  • Review
  • Published:
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although the visual display behavior in Anolis lizards has received ample attention, the function of dewlap extensions (DE), push-ups (PU), and head-nods (HN) in general, and in Anolis sagrei in particular, remains highly equivocal. Therefore, our primary goal was to quantify the display rates of these visual signal types (DE, PU, and HN) in a variety of contexts, using A. sagrei as study species. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test individuals of both sexes in a repeated-measures design across multiple contexts, including predator, non-predator and social interactions (mirror, male–male, male–female, female–male). We found that males have an overall higher signaling rate than females across all contexts. In addition, we found that lizards of both sexes exhibited higher display rates in the presence of conspecifics than when confronted with a predator or non-predator, suggesting that DE, PU, and HN function in intraspecific communication, not in predator deterrence. Whereas females did not significantly raise display rates in a consexual and heterosexual context with respect to subject-alone context, males did. The PU signal type only appears to play a major role for A. sagrei males during aggressive encounters. During heterosexual interactions, increased frequencies of all signal types suggest that DE, PU, and HN are essential for male courtship. Finally, we suggest that intersexual selection is probably a driving force for frequency-related dewlap use in both sexes. In contrast, pronounced intersexual differences were detected for PU and HN rates within a social context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amundsen T (2000) Why are female birds ornamented? Trends Ecol Evol 15:149–155

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Amundsen T, Forsgren E (2001) Male mate choice selects for female coloration in a fish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:13155–13160

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Andersson M (1994) Sexual selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Blanco G, De La Puente J (2002) Multiple elements of the black-billed magpie’s tail correlate with variable honest information on quality in different age/sex classes. Anim Behav 63:217–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blumstein DT, Evans CS, Daniel JC (2000) JWatcher V1.0. An introductory user’s guide. http://www.jwatcher.ucla.edu. Accessed Mar 2012

  • Bradbury JW, Vehrencamp SL (1998) The principles of animal communication. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell TS (1996) Northern range expansion of the brown anole Anolis sagrei in Florida and Georgia. Herpetol Rev 27:155–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter CC (1978) Ritualistic social behaviors in lizards. In: Greenberg N, MacLean PD (eds) Behavior and neurology of lizards. NIMH, Rockville, pp 253–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Clutton-Brock TH, Parker GA (1995) Sexual coercion in animal societies. Anim Behav 49:1345–1365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crews D (1975) Effects of different components of male courtship behavior on environmentally induced ovarian recrudescence and mating preferences in the lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Anim Behav 23:349–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Decourcy KR, Jenssen TA (1994) Structure and use of male territorial head bob signals by the lizard Anolis carolinensis. Anim Behav 47:251–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elmasri OL, Moreno MS, Neumann CA, Blumstein DT (2012) Response of brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) to multimodal signals from a native and novel predator. Curr Zool 58:791–796

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleishman LJ (1992) The influence of the sensory system and the environment on motion patterns in the visual displays of anoline lizards and other vertebrates. Am Nat 139:S36–S61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forster GL, Watt MJ, Korzan WJ, Renner KJ, Summers CH (2005) Opponent recognition in male green anoles, Anolis carolinensis. Anim Behav 69:733–740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerhardt H, Huber F (2002) Acoustic communication in insects and anurans. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg G, Noble GK (1944) Social behavior of the American chameleon (Anolis carolinensis Voigt). Physiol Zool 17:392–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasson O (1991) Pursuit-deterrent signals: communication between prey and predator. Trends Ecol Evol 6:325–329

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hasson O, Hibbard R, Ceballos G (1989) The pursuit deterrent function of tail-wagging in the zebra-tailed lizard (Callisaurus draconoides). Can J Zool 67:1205–1209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hicks RA, Trivers RL (1983) The social behavior of Anolis valencienni. In: Rhodin AGJ, Miyata K (eds) Advances in herpetology and evolutionary biology: essays in honor of Ernest E. Williams. Museum of Comparative Zoology. Harvard University, Cambridge, pp 570–595

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA (1970a) The ethoecology of Anolis nebulosus. J Herpetol 4:1–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA (1970b) Female response to filmed displays of Anolis nebulosus (Sauria, Iguanidae). Anim Behav 18:640–647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA (1977) Evolution of anoline lizard display behavior. Am Zool 17:203–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA (1978) Display diversity in anoline lizards and problems in interpretation. In: Greenberg N, MacLean PD (eds) Behavior and neurology of lizards. NIMH, Rockville, p 26

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA, Greenberg N, Hovde KA (1995) Behavioral profile of free-ranging male lizards, Anolis carolinensis, across breeding and post-breeding seasons. Herpetol Monogr 9:41–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA, Orrell KS, Lovern MB (2000) Sexual dimorphisms in aggressive signal structure and use by a polygynous lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Copeia 2000:140–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jenssen TA, Lovern MB, Congdon JD (2001) Field-testing the protandry-based mating system for the lizard, Anolis carolinesis: Does the model organism have the right model? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 50:162–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Galliard JF, Fitze PS, Ferriere R, Clobert J (2005) Sex ratio bias, male aggression, and population collapse in lizards. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102:18231–18236

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leal M (1999) Honest signalling during predator-prey interactions in the lizard Anolis cristatellus. Anim Behav 58:521–526

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leal M, Rodriguez-Robles JA (1995) Antipredator responses of Anolis cristatellus (Sauria: Polychrotidae). Copeia 1995:155–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leal M, Rodriguez-Robles JA (1997) Signalling displays during predator-prey interactions in a Puerto Rican anole, Anolis cristatellus. Anim Behav 54:1147–1154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JC, Clayton D, Eisenstein S, Perez I (1989) The reproductive cycle of Anolis sagrei in southern Florida. Copeia 1989:930–937

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leuck BE (1995) Territorial defense by male green anoles: an experimental test of the roles of residency and resource quality. Herpetol Monogr 9:63–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Licht P, Gorman GC (1970) Reproductive and fat cycles in Caribbean Anolis lizards. Univ Calif Publ Zool 95:1–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Losos JB (1985) An experimental demonstration of the species recognition role of the Anolis dewlap color. Copeia 1985:905–910

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMann S (2000) Effects of residence time on displays during territory establishment in a lizard. Anim Behav 59:513–522

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McMann S, Patterson AV (2012) Display behavior of resident brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) during close encounters with neighbors and non-neighbors. Herpetol Conserv Biol 7(1):27–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunez SC, Jenssen TA, Ersland K (1997) Female activity profile of a polygynous lizard (Anolis carolinensis): evidence of intersexual asymmetry. Behaviour 134:205–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orrell KS, Jenssen TA (1998) Display behavior of Anolis bahorucoensis: an Anole with a diminutive dewlap. Caribb J Sci 34:113–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Orrell KS, Jenssen TA (2002) Male mate choice by the lizard Anolis carolinensis: a preference for novel females. Anim Behav 63:1091–1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orrell KS, Jenssen TA (2003) Heterosexual signaling by the lizard Anolis carolinensis, with intersexual comparisons across contexts. Behaviour 140:603–634

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan W (2002) Goodness-of-fit tests for GEE with correlated binary data. Scand J Stat 29:101–110

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Partan SR, Otovic P, Price VL, Scott SE (2011) Assessing display variability in wild Brown Anoles Anolis sagrei using a mechanical lizard model. Curr Zool 57:140–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Paterson AV (2002) Effects of an individual’s removal on space use and behavior in territorial neighborhoods of brown anoles Anolis sagrei. Herpetologica 58:382–393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paterson AV, McMann S (2004) Differential head bob displays towards neighbors and nonneighbors in the territorial lizard Anolis sagrei. J Herpetol 38:288–291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry G, Levering K, Girard I, Garland T Jr (2004) Locomotor performance and dominance in male Anolis cristatellus. Anim Behav 67:37–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rand AS (1967) Ecology and social organization in the iguanid lizard Anolis lineatopus. Proc U S Natl Mus 122:1–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rand AS, Williams EE (1970) An estimation of redundancy and information content of anole dewlaps. Am Nat 104:99–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schleich HH, Kästle W, Kabisch K (1996) Amphibians and reptiles of North Africa. Koeltz Scientific Books, Königstein

    Google Scholar 

  • Schoener TW, Schoener A (1980) Densities sex ratios and population structure in four species of Bahamian Anolis lizards. J Anim Ecol 49:19–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoener TW, Spiller DA, Losos JB (2002) Predation on a common Anolis lizard: can the food- web effects of a devastating predator be reversed? Ecol Monogr 72(3):383–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991) Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies: descriptions, distributions, and natural history. University Press of Florida Press, Gainesville

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott MP (1984) Agonistic and courtship displays of male Anolis sagrei. Breviora 479:1–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigmund WR (1983) Female preferences for Anolis carolinensis males as a function of dewlap color and background coloration. J Herpetol 17:137–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon V (2007) Not all signals are equal: Male brown anole lizards Anolis sagrei selectively decrease pushup frequency following a simulated predatory attack. Ethology 113:793–801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon V (2011) Communication signal rates predict interaction outcome in the brown anole lizard, Anolis sagrei. Copeia 2011:38–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamps JA (1977) The relationship between resource competition, risk, and aggression in a tropical territorial lizard. Ecology 58:349–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuart-Fox DM, Moussalli A, Marshall NJ, Owens IPF (2003) Conspicuous males suffer higher predation risk: visual modeling and experimental evidence from lizards. Anim Behav 66:541–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokarz RR (1998) Mating pattern in the lizard, Anolis sagrei: implications for mate choice and sperm competition. Herpetologica 54:388–394

    Google Scholar 

  • Tokarz RR (2002) An experimental test of the importance of the dewlap in male mating success in the lizard Anolis sagrei. Herpetologica 58:87–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokarz RR (2006) Importance of prior physical contact with familiar females in the development of a male courtship and mating preference for unfamiliar females in the lizard Anolis sagrei. Herpetologica 62(2):115–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokarz RR, Paterson AV, McMann S (2003) Laboratory and field test of the functional significance of the male’s dewlap in the lizard Anolis sagrei. Copeia 2003:502–511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tokarz RR, Paterson AV, McMann S (2005) Importance of dewlap display in male mating success in free-ranging Brown Anoles (Anolis sagrei). J Herpetol 39:174–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanhooydonck B, Herrel A, Van Damme R, Irschick DJ (2005) Does dewlap size predict male bite performance in Jamaican Anolis lizards? Funct Ecol 19:38–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanhooydonck B, Herrel A, Meyers JJ, Irschick DJ (2009) What determines dewlap diversity in Anolis lizards? An among-island comparison. J Evol Biol 22:293–305

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • West-Eberhard MJ (1983) Sexual selection, social competition, and speciation. Q Rev Biol 58:155–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yee J, Lee J, Desowitz A, Blumstein DT (2013) The costs of conspecifics: are social distractions or environmental distractions more salient? Ethology 19(6):480–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to master students Nils De Stobbeleere and Aline Delcroix for assisting us during the laboratory experiments. We additionally want to thank the anonymous referee for the helpful comments on the manuscript and Josie Meaney-Ward for linguistic proof reading. This study was supported by a research grant to the first author from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).

Ethical standards

Our research complies with current laws in Belgium; animal housing and behavioral testing were conducted under permit of the Ethical committee on animal experimentation (ECD 2011-64).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Tess Driessens, Beatrijs Vanhooydonck & Raoul Van Damme

Authors
  1. Tess Driessens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Beatrijs Vanhooydonck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Raoul Van Damme
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tess Driessens.

Additional information

Communicated by S. J. Downes

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Driessens, T., Vanhooydonck, B. & Van Damme, R. Deterring predators, daunting opponents or drawing partners? Signaling rates across diverse contexts in the lizard Anolis sagrei . Behav Ecol Sociobiol 68, 173–184 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1669-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-013-1669-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation