Behavior Patterns of Three Species of Amphibolurus (Agamidae)

Carpenter, Charles C.; Badham, Judy A.; Kimble, Bill

doi:10.2307/1442277

Cited by 74 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…These data define a display action pattern (DAP; Fig.·1A), which has traditionally been used to depict display structure (Carpenter et al, 1970). The number of reversals is reflected in the number of peaks in the DAP, while the duty cycle describes the proportion of frames containing motion.…”

Section: Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introductory tail-flick of the Jacky dragon visual display: signal efficacy depends upon duration

Peters

Evans

2003

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY Many animal signals have introductory components that alert receivers. Examples from the acoustic and visual domains show that this effect is often achieved with high intensity, a simple structure and a short duration. Quantitative analyses of the Jacky dragon Amphibolurus muricatusvisual display reveal a different design: the introductory tail-flick has a lower velocity than subsequent components of the signal, but a longer duration. Here, using a series of video playback experiments with a digitally animated tail, we identify the properties responsible for signal efficacy. We began by validating the use of the computer-generated tail, comparing the responses to digital video footage of a lizard tail-flick with those to a precisely matched 3-D animation (Experiment 1). We then examined the effects of variation in stimulus speed, acceleration, duration and period by expanding and compressing the time scale of the sequence (Experiment 2). The results identified several variables that might mediate recognition. Two follow-up studies assessed the importance of tail-flick amplitude (Experiment 3),movement speed and signal duration (Experiment 4). Lizard responses to this array of stimuli reveal that duration is the most important characteristic of the tail-flick, and that intermittent signalling has the same effect as continuous movement. We suggest that signal design may reflect a trade-off between efficacy and cost.

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Section: Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introductory tail-flick of the Jacky dragon visual display: signal efficacy depends upon duration

Peters

Evans

2003

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…These describe changes in position over time, but provide little information on the noise environment or the efficacy of the signal (e.g., Carpenter et al, 1970;Jenssen, 1977). Fleishman (1988a) utilized the first quantitative approach by comparing frequency spectra of the motion patterns from windblown plants to those from lizard displays.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying Ecological Constraints on Motion Signaling

Ramos

Peters

2017

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The environment in which animal signals are generated has the potential to affect transmission and reliable detection by receivers. To understand such constraints, it is important to quantify both signals and noise in detail. Investigations of acoustic and color signals now utilize established methods, but quantifying motion-based visual signals and noise remains rudimentary. In this paper, we encourage a more complete consideration of motion signaling environments and describe an approach to quantifying signal and noise in detail. Signals are reconstructed in three-dimensions, microhabitats are mapped and the noise environment quantified in a standardized manner. Information on signal and noise is combined to consider signal contrast from multiple viewpoints, and in any of the habitats we map. We illustrate our approach by examining signals and noise for two allopatric populations of the Australian mallee military dragon Ctenophorus fordi. By "placing" signals in different microhabitats we observed similar signal contrast results within populations, but clear differences when considered in microhabitats of the other population. These preliminary results are consistent with the hypothesis that habitat structure has affected display structure in these populations of lizards. Our novel methodology will facilitate the examination of habitat-dependent convergence and divergence in motion signal structure in a variety of taxonomic groups and habitats. Furthermore, we anticipate application of our approach to consider the visual ecology of animals more broadly.

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“…A few ethograms and several other studies on the courtship behaviour have been published for lizards, but these are mainly focused either on iguanids (Cooper, 1979;Greenberg, 1977a,b;Jenssen, 1975;Jenssen & Feely, 1991) or on scincids (Cooper & Vitt, 1987a;Done & Heatwole, 1977;Langkilde et al, 2003;Torr & Shine, 1994). Studies describing the sequential events in courtship and mating behaviour in agamids are rare (Brattstrom, 1971;Carpenter et al, 1970;Pandav et al, 2007). Jenssen (1975) stated that display behaviour of lizards tend to be stereotyped at the species level in most of the cases or even at the level of population, and this stereotypy enables compilation of a list (ethogram) of display behaviour for a species, covering the whole range of behavioural acts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethogram of courtship and mating behaviour of Sitana cf. ponticeriana (Reptilia: Draconinae: Agamidae) in India

et al. 2013

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The current study describes and interprets the courtship behaviour exhibited by Sitana cf.ponticeriana. An ethogram comprised of 20 behavioural acts was compiled. Though complex communications were lacking in S. cf. ponticeriana, other acts were by and large similar (and perhaps evolutionarily homologous) to other agamids. The courtship behaviour was divided into three distinct patterns -orientation, persuasion and copulation. Gular flap extensions by the males of S. cf. ponticeriana was a peculiar display but not unique to this species. Head bobbing, which is a common feature to many agamids, was rare and functioned to enhance the visual acuity rather than to serve as a social signal. Neck grip was also a very short event performed rapidly by the male to subdue the female. Rest events of the courtship were more or less similar to other types of lizards. Tail twitching and tail twisting seemed to express high levels of arousal rather than ritualized social signals.

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Behavior Patterns of Three Species of Amphibolurus (Agamidae)

Cited by 74 publications

References 4 publications

Introductory tail-flick of the Jacky dragon visual display: signal efficacy depends upon duration

Introductory tail-flick of the Jacky dragon visual display: signal efficacy depends upon duration

Quantifying Ecological Constraints on Motion Signaling

Ethogram of courtship and mating behaviour of Sitana cf. ponticeriana (Reptilia: Draconinae: Agamidae) in India

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