Abstract
Many lizards extrude the tongue and touch the substrate under natural conditions. Reasons for this have never been examined. Eight Sceloporus jarrovi, Yarrow's spiny lizard, were exposed to three novel situations: a rock placed in the home cage; a previously unoccupied, unfamiliar cage; and an unfamiliar cage where another lizard had been kept. The rates of substrate licking under these conditions were compared to the rates of substrate licking in the home cage. Significantly more licking occurred when lizards were exposed to the novel situations than when in their undisturbed, home cages. It is proposed that Sceloporus jarrovi explores new situations mediated by its Jacobson's organ through substrate licking.
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