Geckos: Adaptive Significance and Energetics of Tail Autotomy

Congdon, Justin D.; Vitt, Laurie J.; King, William

doi:10.1126/science.184.4144.1379

Cited by 214 publications

(134 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

124

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Experimental work o n lizards and salamanders has shown that tail autotomy effectively distracts predators and prevents subjugation o f prey (Congdon et al 1974, Ducey & Brodie 1983, Dial & Fitzpatrick 1983. Nevertheless, for t h e individual, loss o f a n appendage can slow growth rate (Kuris & Mager 1975, Vitt & Cooper 1986, Smith 1990a, hinder foraging ability (Smith & Hines 1991a), decrease reproductive output ( S m y t h 1974, Maiorana 1977, Dial & Fitzpatrick 1981, Smith 1992, and lower social status (Fox & Rotsker 1982).…”

Section: Autotomy T H E Self-amputation O F a Body Part At A Breakagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of limb autotomy and tethering on juvenile blue crab survival from cannibalism

Smith¹

1995

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

High frequencies of limb loss (18 to 39 %) in blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun populations over broad temporal and spatial scales suggest that the autotomy response is an important escape mechanism. Limb loss, however, may increase vulnerability of prey in future encounters with predators If individual survival is reduced significantly and injury frequency in the population is density-dependent, such nonlethal injury could affect population size. Annual frequencies of limb loss were positively correlated to blue crab abundances in the Rhode River, Maryland, USA, between 1986 and 1989, but results of open-field tethering experiments indicated that, overall, missing limbs did not increase juvenile vulnerability to predators. Limitations imposed by the tether on normal escape behavior, however, may have masked real survival differences among limb-loss treatments To test for interactive effects of limb loss and tethering on survival from predation, I conducted a set of field experiments in 10 m 2 enclosures, using adult blue crabs as predators and intact and injured (missing 1 or 4 limbs), tethered and untethered juvenile conspecifics as prey. A second experiment, conducted in small wading pools, tested the impact of limb loss on escape speed and direction of juvenile blue crabs. Results of enclosure experiments demonstrated that: (1) under typical field conditions and crab densities, larger c~n s p e c~c s do inflict lethal and nonlethal injury on juveniles; and (2) in encounters with predators, prior limb loss does not handicap crabs if escape is possible (untethered treatments), but does impose a defensive cost if escape is restricted (tethered treatments). In addition, survivorship patterns suggest that prey missing multiple limbs altered their activity patterns to decrease vulnerability In wading pools, limb loss altered escape speed and direction, although effects varied depending on the type and number of missing limbs. Together, these experiments indicate that prior limb loss can have complex effects on escape effectiveness, defensive ability, and anti-predator behavior. They also suggest that, despite density-dependence, prior limb loss does not reduce blue crab fitness sufficiently to regulate population size.

show abstract

Section: Autotomy T H E Self-amputation O F a Body Part At A Breakagmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of limb autotomy and tethering on juvenile blue crab survival from cannibalism

Smith¹

1995

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Eighteen to 25% of blue crabs surveyed over a four year period in the Rhode River, Maryland, and 19-390/0 of blue crabs at six other sites along the eastern coast of the United States in 1989 were missing or regenerating one or more limbs. Autotomy is an effective escape response to predators (Robinson et al, 1970;Congdon et al, 1974;Medel et al, 1988;Smith, 1990a). Variation in injury levels in populations may indicate differential predation pressure (e.g., Shaffer, 1978;Ballinger, 1979;Schall and Pianka, 1980;McCallum et al, 1989) or predator efficiency (Schoener, 1979;Schoener and Schoener, 1980;Jaksic and Fuentes, 1980).…”

Section: Causal Agentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autotomy in Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) Populations: Geographic, Temporal, and Ontogenetic Variation

Smith

Hines

1991

The Biological Bulletin

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) populations were examined at four sites in Chesapeake Bay and three additional sites along the southeastern Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico; the aims were to assess the incidence of limb autotomy and to determine whether injury patterns varied temporally, geographically, and ontogenetically. These data, which include four years of information from one site (Rhode River, Maryland, a subestuary of central Chesapeake Bay), make this study the most extensive and intensive survey oflimb autotomy yet conducted in arthropods. A substantial percentage (17-390/0) of the blue crab populations were either missing or regenerating one or more limbs, suggesting that autotomy is an important mechanism for their survival. The frequency oflimb autotomy varied, both within and between years, and over broad geographical scales. Injury levels were generally correlated positively with crab size. Limb autotomy was independent of sex and molt stage, and frequencies varied little among sites in the Rhode River. Patterns of limb injury in C. sapidus were remarkably consistent among all sites. The most frequent injury involved loss of a single cheliped. Swimming legs suffered the least damage. Severe multiple limb loss was rare. Right and left limbs 'were lost with equal frequency in most populations. This consistency of autotomy pattern suggests differential vulnerability of limbs and standard behavioral response by blue crabs to various injury-causing agents. The frequency of autotomy was density-dependent in the Rhode River, indicating that intraspecific interactions (e.g., cannibalism) may be a major cause of limb Received

show abstract

“…Autotomy is a predator-escape strategy documented for a broad range of taxa (Fleming et al, 2007), including crabs (Bennett, 1973), spiders (Parry, 1957;Amaya et al, 2001), echinoderms (Emson and Wilkie, 1980), salamanders (Wake and Dresner, 1967), lizards (Congdon et al, 1974;Daniels, 1983;Arnold, 1984;Cooper and Vitt, 1985;Bateman and Fleming, 2009) and even some rodents (Sumner and Collins, 1918;Layne, 1972). Most commonly examined in lizards, this voluntary shedding of an appendage generally occurs in response to a predatory stimulus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tail autotomy and subsequent regeneration alter the mechanics of locomotion in lizards

Jagnandan

Russell

Higham

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Animals can undergo significant weight change for a variety of reasons. Autotomy, the voluntary shedding of an appendage in response to a predator stimulus, provides an effective model for measuring the effects of rapid weight change on locomotor behavior and the responses to more gradual weight gain, particularly in lizards capable of both autotomizing and regenerating their tail. Although the general effects of autotomy on locomotor performance are commonly explored, we investigated changes in locomotor mechanics associated with tail loss and long-term regeneration for the first time by measuring morphology, 3D kinematics and ground reaction forces (GRFs) in the leopard gecko Eublepharis macularius. Tail autotomy resulted in a 13% anterior shift in the center of mass (CoM), which only partially recovered after full regeneration of the tail. Although no changes in body or forelimb kinematics were evident, decreases in hindlimb joint angles signify a more sprawled posture following autotomy. Changes in hindlimb GRFs resulted in an increase in weight-specific propulsive force, without a corresponding change in locomotor speed. Hindlimb kinematics and GRFs following autotomy recovered to pre-autotomy values as the tail regenerated. These results suggest an active locomotor response to tail loss that demonstrates the causal relationships between variations in morphology, kinematics and force.

show abstract

Geckos: Adaptive Significance and Energetics of Tail Autotomy

Cited by 214 publications

References 5 publications

Effects of limb autotomy and tethering on juvenile blue crab survival from cannibalism

Effects of limb autotomy and tethering on juvenile blue crab survival from cannibalism

Autotomy in Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) Populations: Geographic, Temporal, and Ontogenetic Variation

Tail autotomy and subsequent regeneration alter the mechanics of locomotion in lizards

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About