Releasers of courtship and territorial behaviour in the side blotched lizard Uta stansburiana

Abstract

Summary The value as social releasers of body form, colour pattern, behaviour and odour in Uta stansburiana was investigated. Males established territories in large wooden boxes. Female Uta , models, and males of other closely related species were then introduced for short periods of time as non-residents and the reactions of the resident noted: The nonresidents were treated in various manners to isolate the above four factors. The results indicated that male Uta stansburiana possess strong ability to distinguish the sex of non-resident Uta on the basis of colour pattern and behaviour of the latter. Territorial behaviour was released by either male Uta colour pattern or rapid flight by the nonresident. When it was released by the former it required reinforcement by the latter, and since the rapid flight was not continuous, the presence of both seemed imperative to stimulate continuous territorial behaviour. The factors releasing courthsip behaviour were less obvious than those releasing territorial behaviour but were probably a combination of Uta -like body form, relatively quiescent behaviour and female Uta colour pattern. Odour did not play an important role in stimulating either territorial or courtship behaviour in the resident. Other small male iguanid lizards provided stimuli that released courtship rather than territorial behaviour in male Uta . Resident males copulated only with females that were relatively submissive. Male Uta were not observed to actively chase females.