Behavioral Profile of Free-Ranging Male Lizards, Anolis carolinensis, across Breeding and Post-Breeding Seasons

Abstract

The behavior of 10 free-ranging Anolis carolinensis was videotaped in a riparian habitat for 41 h during May-July of the breeding season; 8 of the original 10 males plus 1 substitute were videotaped for an additional 22 h during August-September of the post-breeding season. Comparisons of breeding versus non-breeding seasons showed dramatic shifts in the per- centage of time spent in the following behavioral modes: (1) stationary, 51.1% versus 85.6% (with respective display rates of 46/h versus 2/h); (2) travel, 26.7% versus 2.6% (with respective distance rates of 73 m/h versus 106 m/h and display rates of 209/h versus 78/h); (3) creep, <1% versus 14.1% (with post-breeding distance rate of 17 m/h and display rate of 15/h); (4) courtship, 4.2% versus 0% (occurring 1/40 min with a display rate of 233/h); (5) copulation, 6.1% versus 0% (occurring 1/7 h, each averaging 15 min); (6) male dispute, 9.2% versus 0% (occurring 1/h, with a display rate of 73/h); (7) foraging, 1.0% versus 1.5% (occurring 1.2/h versus 3.6/h); and (8) predator avoidance, drinking, defecation, and shedding, total 1.5% versus 0.2%. Over all contexts, the respective breeding versus post-breeding season rates for distance moved and displaying were 26 m/h versus 8 m/h and 100 displays/h versus 6 displays/h. Breeding males were polygynous and defended exclusive, closely monitored home ranges (x = 174 m3) that overlapped an average of 2.8 resident females. Males used all available microhabitats and were considered perch generalists. Males spent two-thirds of their time between 0 and 2 m above the ground on perches 1-8 cm in diameter during the breeding season, but more often frequented higher and thinner perches in the post-breeding season, during which time much creeping and foraging occurred. Males exhibited a wide range of foraging behavior, reflecting a generalist's mode of prey capture. Feeding was initiated when stationary (sit-and-wait), traveling (eat-on-the-run), and creeping (active search); more feeding events were initiated from a stationary mode, but traveling (breeding season) and creeping (post-breeding season) produced more feeding attempts per unit of time. Males were bright green 75% (breeding season) and 87% (post-breeding season) of the time. Shifts between four categories of body colors (bright green to chocolate brown) averaged 4.7 (breeding season) and 1.0 changes/h (post-breeding season), with a bright green state maintained for significantly shorter durations during the breeding period than after the breeding period (x = 27.1 and 89.6 min, respectively). There was no evidence that change in body color was matching substrate color; however, green-to-brown shifts in body color were usually associated with the initiation of social interactions. Behaviors possibly associated with pheromone reception or deposition were infrequent (<8 times/h), occurring most often in the post-breeding season when no social behavior was observed. Based on our results, the influence of captivity on lizard behavior is discussed.