Abstract
In lizards, flight initiation distance (FID), the distance between a prey individual and a predator when escape begins, can be affected by numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including sex, temperature, and level of conspicuousness. Here we report on a study of FID in a population of Ornate Tree Lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, from the Sierra de Samalyuca, Chihuahua, Mexico which are cryptic due to their dorsal coloration blending into their background. Urosaurus ornatus in our study population allowed close approaches (mean FID = 65 cm). Mean FID did not differ between males and females. We also found no effect of body, air, or substrate temperature on FID. The short FID we observed may be related to the cryptic nature of U. ornatus.
Highlights
For many prey individuals one of the most important decisions that must be made when confronted with an approaching predator is when to begin their antipredator response, which for many prey is flight (Ydenberg and Dill, 1986)
We report on a field study of flight initiation distance (FID) in a population of Ornate Tree Lizards, Urosaurus ornatus, from the Sierra de Samalyuca, Chihuahua, Mexico
We examined whether body temperature and sex affect flight initiation distance
Summary
For many prey individuals one of the most important decisions that must be made when confronted with an approaching predator is when to begin their antipredator response, which for many prey is flight (Ydenberg and Dill, 1986). FID can be affected by numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including body and environmental temperature (e.g., Smith and Lemos-Espinal, 2005; Cooper et al, 2009; Braun et al, 2010; Cooper, 2011a); perch, habitat, or microhabitat characteristics (Cooper, 2003b; Cooper et al, 2009; Morris and Lattanzio, 2020), and sex (Vanhooydonck et al, 2007; Majláth and Majláthova, 2009; Salido and Vicente, 2019).
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.