Structural Habitat and Time Budget of a Tropical Anolis Lizard

Abstract

Structural habitat data generally support the interpretation that competition for food results in habitat partitioning. In this investigation, the importance of ethological factors in determining the structural habitat of Anolis lizards is demonstrated by examining the structural habitat of Anolis polylepis during foraging and social interaction, its two major activities. “Overall” structural habitats show that intraspecific classes use perches of significantly different heights and diameters. Perch heights of adult males and females are also shown to be related to the type of activity in which they are engaged. Overall structural habitat data show a greater difference between the sexes than actually exists in their feeding locations. Ecological differences between insular and continental Anolis potentially affecting the structural habitat are also discussed.