PREY CHEMICALS DO NOT AFFECT GIVING-UP TIME AT AMBUSH POSTS BY THE CORDYLID LIZARD PLATYSAURUS BROADLEYI

Abstract

Lizards that forage from ambush do not exhibit prey chemical discrimination, but might enhance foraging efficiency by staying longer at ambush posts bearing chemical prey cues. By presenting chemical stimuli to free-ranging lizards, we tested whether Platysaurus broadleyi had longer giving-up time (i.e., time at an ambush post) in the presence of insect prey stimuli. The lizards remained no longer at tiles labelled by prey chemicals than control substances, but giving-up times were greater at tiles labelled by a plant food (fig). Ambush foragers may not use prey chemicals to assess the quality of ambush posts.