Abstract
Behavioral responses of the Japanese lacertid lizard,Takydromus tachydromoides, to its natural predator, the Japanese striped snake,Elaphe quadrivirgata, were examined under laboratory conditions.T. tachydromoides often thrashed its tail rapidly from side to side for short intervals (less than 0.5 s), usually just before fleeing away from an approaching snake. This tail vibration behavior appears to distract the snake away from the vulnerabl parts of the body to the tail, as tail vibration occurred more frequently when the head of the snake was closer to the lizard's head than its tail. Distraction of snake attack by this action is suggested to be an antipredator tactic, because it was demonstrated that the vibration increased the chance of escape.
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Mori, A. Tail vibration of the Japanese grass lizardTakydromus tachydromoides as a tactic against a snake predator. J. Ethol. 8, 81–88 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350278
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02350278