Offspring and adult chemosensory recognition by an amphisbaenian reptile may allow maintaining familiar links in the fossorial environment.

José Martín,Ernesto Raya-García,Jesús Ortega,Pilar López

doi:10.7717/peerj.10780

José Martín, Ernesto Raya-García + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10780

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Abstract

Kin recognition is a phenomenon with an important function in maintaining cohesive social groups in animals. Several studies have examined parent–offspring recognition in species with direct parental care. Few studies have, however, explored parent–offspring recognition in animals that, at best, only show apparent indirect parental care, such as some reptiles. In this study, we investigated reciprocal parent–offspring recognition in the fossorial amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni, a viviparous species that shows potential stable ‘family groups’ in the form of parent-offspring long-term associations. We examined whether adult males and females could discriminate via chemical cues between familiar juveniles which associate with them within their family groups, and are potentially their offspring, to that of unfamiliar juveniles, and whether juveniles could discriminate between familiar adult males and females of their family group (probably their parents) and unfamiliar unrelated adults. We measured tongue flick behavior to study chemosensory responses to the scent of conspecifics. We found that adult female amphisbaenians, but not males, could discriminate between scents of familiar and unfamiliar juveniles. Juvenile amphisbaenians did not discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar adult females, but recognize familiar from unfamiliar males. We discuss our results of parent–offspring recognition according to its potential social function in an ecological fossorial context where visibility is limited and chemosensory kin recognition may contribute to the establishment of stable family groups.

Highlights

IntroductionIn social species that present parental care or form family groups, the ability to recognise their own offspring or their own parents and siblings (i.e., kin-recognition) is crucial to maintain long-term stable family associations (Clutton-Brock, 1991; Halpin, 1991; TangMartinez, 2001)
In social species that present parental care or form family groups, the ability to recognise their own offspring or their own parents and siblings is crucial to maintain long-term stable family associations (Clutton-Brock, 1991; Halpin, 1991; TangMartinez, 2001)
We examined the responses of juveniles (n = 14) to (a) water, and scents of four classes of adult amphisbaenians: (b) the familiar male and (c) the familiar female that were originally found in the field together with the juvenile and that shared its terrarium during the study, and (d) an unfamiliar male and (e) an unfamiliar female that had never been in contact with the juvenile

Summary

Introduction

In social species that present parental care or form family groups, the ability to recognise their own offspring or their own parents and siblings (i.e., kin-recognition) is crucial to maintain long-term stable family associations (Clutton-Brock, 1991; Halpin, 1991; TangMartinez, 2001). Social and family aggregations are widespread in many animals, this is not the case in reptiles, which only rarely show parental care or stable parent–offspring association and social groups (reviewed in Gardner et al, 2016; Whiting & While, 2017; While et al, 2019), yet viviparity seems to be an important factor in the evolution of sociality. Conspecific- and kin-recognition in lizards is often mainly based on chemical cues (Bull et al, 2000; reviewed in Mason & Parker, 2010; Martín & López, 2011), in most of these studies the use of additional cues was not discounted

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