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Efecto de los estímulos químicos, la estación y el sexo, sobre el número de lamidos, mostrando las medias y los errores estándar. El asterisco indica diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0.05).
Source publication
Chemical self-recognition in Liolaemus pacha (Iguania: Liolaemidae) is influenced by season.
ABSTRACT. Chemical signals play an important role in social and sexual recognition in several lizard species. Here, we investigated whether the lizard Liolaemus pacha can recognize their own chemical scents (i.e., self-recognition) from a control. In addit...
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... ≤ 0.05; NS p > 0.05. (Fig. 1). Los machos tardaron menos en lamer que las hembras, pero estas diferencias no fueron significativas (p > 0.05; Fig. 1). El número de lamidos estuvo influido por los estímulos químicos, el sexo, la estación y, la interacción entre el estímulo y la estación (Tabla 1). Los machos lamieron en general más que las hembras (Fig. 2). Durante la estación reproductiva las frecuencias de lamidos en general fueron signi- ficativamente mayores (18.34 ± 1.86) que durante la estación post-reproductiva (8.68 ± 0.91). Durante la estación reproductiva, el número de lamidos frente al estímulo propio fue menor con respecto al control, aunque estas diferencias no fueron ...
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... la estación reproductiva las frecuencias de lamidos en general fueron signi- ficativamente mayores (18.34 ± 1.86) que durante la estación post-reproductiva (8.68 ± 0.91). Durante la estación reproductiva, el número de lamidos frente al estímulo propio fue menor con respecto al control, aunque estas diferencias no fueron significativas (p > 0.05; Fig. 2). Sin embargo, durante la estación post-reproductiva, el número de lamidos frente a un estímulo propio fue significativamente mayor con respecto al control (p < 0.05; Fig. ...
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... la estación reproductiva, el número de lamidos frente al estímulo propio fue menor con respecto al control, aunque estas diferencias no fueron significativas (p > 0.05; Fig. 2). Sin embargo, durante la estación post-reproductiva, el número de lamidos frente a un estímulo propio fue significativamente mayor con respecto al control (p < 0.05; Fig. ...
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Citations
... Consequently, chemical self-recognition tests are fairly common in squamates which include lizards (e.g. Aguilar et al. 2009;Alberts 1992;Aragón et al. 2001;Bull et al. 2000;Cooper 1999; Graves and Halpern 1991;López et al. 1997;Vicente and Halloy 2018), snakes (e.g. Burghardt et al. 2021;Chiszar and Smith 1991;Halpin 1990) and amphisbaenids (e.g. ...
Self-recognition is the ability to recognise stimuli originating from oneself. Humans and some non-human animals show evidence of true visual self-recognition in the mirror test. They use their reflection to inspect themselves and to remove a mark that is only visible in the mirror. Not all animals, however, rely primarily on vision. In lizards, chemical cues are crucial in social interactions, and therefore, lizards would benefit from a chemical self-other distinction. Here, we test the tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), a social species, on their ability to discriminate their own skin and faecal chemicals from those of same-sex, unfamiliar conspecifics. We predicted that individuals would show more self-directed behaviour when confronted with the chemicals from unfamiliar individuals within their home enclosure as a sign of the need for increased comparison. Geckos showed higher self-directed responses towards chemicals from unfamiliar individuals compared to self-produced chemicals and a water control. Furthermore, scat and skin chemicals (regardless of origin) elicited similar but stronger responses than peppermint oil pointing towards a possible social function of scat piles. Although further tests and controls are needed, our study provides evidence towards chemical self-recognition and for a social function of scat piling in tokay geckos.
... The lack of a clear evidence of heterospecific recognition by these two Patagonian lizard species do not imply the absence of chemo-recognition, as both species exhibited self-recognition, such as other Liolaemus species do (Labra, 2008a,b;Troncoso-Palacios and Labra, 2012;Labra and Hoare, 2015;Vicente and Halloy, 2018). Selfrecognition is considered the simplest and most basal type of chemical recognition (Alberts, 1992), and in the studied species, this ability might allow individuals to recognize their own space or the areas normally visited by them, potentially the retreat sites. ...
Some lizard species modulate the use of a retreat site based on the presence of scents from other individuals, behavior that requires scent recognition. Here, we investigated in two congeneric and syntopic lizards, adults of Liolaemus coeruleus and juveniles of L. ceii, which can be found sharing retreat sites in the wild, whether they discriminate scents from each other during the pre-hibernation period. If the presence of heterospecific scents modulates sharing retreat sites, species would discriminate scents of each other. Lizards were exposed individually to four treatments, which were the enclosures with scents of: (1) own, from the focal individual; (2) conspecific of same sex as the focal lizard; (3) heterospecific of same sex than focal and (4) control, i.e., enclosure with a clean substrate. Our results suggest that there is no heterospecific recognition, which was not consequence of an inability to chemo-assess scents, since both species exhibited self-recognition (recognition of own scents) and juveniles of L. ceii also showed conspecific recognition. Although species may have advantages in sharing retreat sites, apparently, chemical recognition of heterospecific scents would not modulate this retreat site sharing by these syntopic species.
Morphology can be associated with different aspects of an organisms' life and the size of sensorial organs may allow inferences on the relevance of sensorial systems employed by them. There are organs implied in signal detection (sensory organs) and production (emitting organs) that are linked frequently to behaviour. Lizards are mostly dependent on the chemosensory system, where the vomeronasal organ (VNO) detects chemical scents delivered by the tongue from glands. The VNO, tongue flicks and glands, should be associated under a morpho‐functional paradigm, and our main aim is to explore whether there is an association among these three chemosensory components in Liolaemus lizards. Additionally, tongue flicks have been used to evaluate the interaction between the chemical and visual sensory systems, showing a positive association. Hence, considering the close association between morphology and behaviour, our second aim is to explore whether the morphological (VNO, glands) and behavioural (tongue flicks) chemosensory components are correlated with eye size. We studied the rate of tongue flicks exhibited under two conditions, own scents and control, in 13 Liolaemus species and measured their head length, snout volume (VNO proxy), eye surface, and counted their number of precloacal glands. The rate of tongue flicks correlated positively with the residuals to head of snout volume and negatively with the number of precloacal glands, suggesting that they are associated and that this behaviour links both structures. In addition, residuals of snout volume and the rate of tongue flicks were positively associated with the residuals of eye surface, suggesting that chemical and visual sensory modalities would have co‐evolved in these Liolaemus species. Our results show the importance of morphology and behaviour to infer the relevance of animals' sensory systems.
Animals employ a wide variety of communication tactics that rely on distinct sensory modalities. Lizards are characterized by their heightened dependence on chemical and visual communication. Some authors have proposed that a reduced number of chemical secretory pores may be associated with an increased visual dependence in some species. Here, we study two species of Liolaemus lizards with different chemical features to compare their visual and chemical communication. The first species, L. coeruleus, does not have precloacal pores in either sex, while L. albiceps has precloacal pores in both sexes. We expect that L. coeruleus will principally adhere to the visual modality, while L. albiceps will show greater chemical responses. We filmed the lizard's response to different chemical and visual stimuli. In the trials, both species demonstrated chemical self-recognition, L. albiceps exhibited less total time in motion but more behavioural displays in the presence of conspecific scents, suggesting conspecific chemical recognition too. On the other hand, visuals results showed that L. coeruleus reacted more to the presence of conspecifics than L. albiceps. These observations suggest that L. coeruleus relies more on visual signalization, while L. albiceps has a greater dependence on chemical communication. Our results may indicate a correspondence between precloacal secretions and the response to these by conspecifics in both species studied.
