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Lizard homing behavior: the role of the parietal eye during displacement and radio-tracking, and time-compensated celestial orientation in the lizard Sceloporus jarrovi

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Summary

The role of the parietal eye was investigated in Yarrow's spiny lizard, Sceloporus jarrovi. Three groups of lizards were displaced approximately 150 m from previously determined home ranges: (1) normal lizards, (2) sham-treated lizards (paint placed alongside the parietal eye), and (3) experimental lizards (parietal eye covered with a layer of paint). Significantly fewer experimental lizards returned home (20%) than either the normal (61%) or sham-treated lizards (57%). Control studies indicated that the parietal eye treatment did not affect the daily activity patterns, home range size, or survivorship of the lizards. Radio-tracking of displaced S. jarrovi showed that \(\raise.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-.1em/ \kern-.15em\lower.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$} \) h after displacement, normal and sham-treated lizards moved in homeward pathways that were significantly non-random. Experimental lizards, however, were not significantly oriented, either \(\raise.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-.1em/ \kern-.15em\lower.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$} \) or 3\(\raise.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-.1em/ \kern-.15em\lower.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$} \) h later, and all moved in random directions after their release. The use of celestial cues for homing orientation was also examined. One group of lizards was maintained on a natural light-dark cycle (no phase-shift:NPS) while a second group was subjected to a 6-h advanced phase-shift (APS). All lizards were released in the field approximately 150m from their home ranges and radio-tracked. The NPL lizards were oriented towards home 30 min after release while the APS lizards shifted their orientation in a counterclockwise direction. Both NPS and APS lizards improved their orientation after 3 h.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, City College of the City University of New York, 10031, New York, NY, USA

    Barbara A. Ellis-Quinn

  2. Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology, The American Museum of Natural History, 10024, New York, NY, USA

    Carol A. Simony

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  1. Barbara A. Ellis-Quinn
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  2. Carol A. Simony
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Ellis-Quinn, B.A., Simony, C.A. Lizard homing behavior: the role of the parietal eye during displacement and radio-tracking, and time-compensated celestial orientation in the lizard Sceloporus jarrovi . Behav Ecol Sociobiol 28, 397–407 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164121

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164121

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