Predators determine how weather affects the spatial niche of lizard prey: exploring niche dynamics at a fine scale

López-Darias, Marta; Schoener, Thomas W.; Spiller, David A.; Losos, Jonathan B.

doi:10.1890/12-0483.1

Cited by 25 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…1). These findings are congruent with previous studies that indicate that A. sagrei individuals perceive the presence of L. carinatus as an increase in predation risk (32)(33)(34).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…30, for photographs of this predator-prey interaction). Previous experiments showed that curly-tailed lizards may be a major selective force on A. sagrei, and their presence, even at low density, may greatly affect the demography and structural niche of A. sagrei (31)(32)(33)(34). In response to the presence of curly-tailed lizards, male A. sagrei rarely use the ground, moving higher up in the vegetation to perches that usually are narrower and less exposed than those used by males where curly-tails are absent (32,33).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…In response to the presence of curly-tailed lizards, male A. sagrei rarely use the ground, moving higher up in the vegetation to perches that usually are narrower and less exposed than those used by males where curly-tails are absent (32,33). Furthermore, this shift in habitat use may occur in a short period, and the magnitude of the response seems to be proportional to changes in the activity of curlytailed lizards (34). Finally, the perceived threat of predation is sufficiently strong that under natural conditions, if presented with a single curly-tailed lizard, individuals of A. sagrei will flee immediately at the mere sight of the predator (32).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Predation-associated modulation of movement-based signals by a Bahamian lizard

Steinberg

Losos

Schoener

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Signaling individuals must effectively capture and hold the attention of intended conspecific receivers while limiting eavesdropping by potential predators. A possible mechanism for achieving this balance is for individuals to modulate the physical properties of their signals or to alter the proportion of time spent signaling, depending upon local levels of predation pressure. We test the hypothesis that prey can alter their visual signaling behavior to decrease conspicuousness and potentially limit predation risk via modulation of signal properties or display rate. To do so, we conducted a manipulative experiment in nature to evaluate the possible effect of predation pressure on the physical properties of movementbased signals and on the proportion of time spent signaling by using a well-understood predator-prey system in the Bahamas, the semiarboreal lizard Anolis sagrei, and one of its main predators, the curly-tailed lizard Leiocephalus carinatus. We find that on islands onto which the predator was introduced, male anoles reduce the maximum amplitude of head-bob displays but not the proportion of time spent signaling, in comparison with control islands lacking the predator. This reduction of amplitude also decreases signal active space, which might alter the reproductive success of signaling individuals. We suggest that future studies of predatorprey interactions consider the risk effects generated by changes in signals or signaling behavior to fully determine the influence of predation pressure on the dynamics of prey populations.T he process of communication is central to many aspects of social interaction, from attracting mates to establishing territories. The major prerequisite for communication is that an individual or its signal must effectively capture and hold the attention of intended receivers (1, 2). However, communication rarely occurs in a context free from the risk of predation, and thus the presence of predators is an important selective pressure on the physical designs of signals and the behaviors associated with their display (e.g., refs. 3-9). In fact, predation pressure typically results in signals with reduced conspicuousness (i.e., the likelihood of being seen by a predator) at one or both of two timescales: (i) across generations (i.e., via evolutionary mechanisms) or (ii) within the lifetime of an individual (i.e., via behavioral mechanisms). The evolution of less conspicuous signal properties in response to predation pressure has been demonstrated across signaling modalities, including acoustic, electrical, visual, and ultrasonic signals (e.g., refs. 9, 10). Predation pressure also shapes the evolution of the behaviors associated with the production of signals, often resulting in a shift in the amount of time spent signaling throughout the day or in the use of less vulnerable display sites (11-16).Behavioral changes favoring a reduction in the likelihood of communication-associated predation typically precede evolutionary changes (12). This process most likely is driven by the plastic...

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“…1). These findings are congruent with previous studies that indicate that A. sagrei individuals perceive the presence of L. carinatus as an increase in predation risk (32)(33)(34).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predation-associated modulation of movement-based signals by a Bahamian lizard

Steinberg

Losos

Schoener

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Here, we used a set of novel experiments to measure risk-taking behavior in six populations of brown anoles (A. sagrei), one of the best studied vertebrate species in the fields of evolutionary ecology, invasion biology, and behavior (Losos, 2009). Specifically, we studied replicated populations of A. sagrei in South Florida differing in urbanization (i.e., urban or forest) and predation regime (i.e., presence or absence of invasive curly-tailed lizards, Leiocephalus carinatus, a well-known terrestrial predator of A. sagrei) (Schoener et al, 1982(Schoener et al, , 2002Losos et al, 2004Losos et al, , 2006L opez-Darias et al, 2012). We studied adult males from two populations of forest-dwelling lizards, two urban populations with L. carinatus, and two urban populations without L. carinatus in April-July 2015 (coordinates indicated in S1 in Data S1).…”

Section: Study Species and Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urbanization and biological invasion shape animal personalities

Lapiedra

Chejanovski

Kolbe

2016

Global Change Biology

108

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Novel selective pressures derived from human activities challenge the persistence of animal populations worldwide. Behavior is expected to be a major factor driving animals' responses to global change because it largely determines how animals interact with the environment. However, the role of individual variation in behavior to facilitate the persistence of animals in changing environments remains poorly understood. Here, we adopted an animal personality approach to investigate whether different behavioral traits allow animals to deal with two major components of global change: urbanization and biological invasions. By studying six populations of Anolis sagrei lizards, we found for the first time that anoles vary consistently in their behavior across different times and contexts. Importantly, these animal personalities were consistent in the wild and in captivity. We investigated whether behavioral traits are pulled in different directions by different components of global change. On the one hand, we found that lizards from urban areas differ from nearby forest lizards in that they were more tolerant of humans, less aggressive, bolder after a simulated predator attack, and they spent more time exploring new environments. Several of these risk-taking behaviors constituted a behavioral syndrome that significantly differed between urban and forest populations. On the other hand, the behavior of urban A. sagrei coexisting with the invasive predatory lizard Leiocephalus carinatus was associated with dramatic changes in their foraging niche. Overall, we provide evidence that differences in animal personalities facilitate the persistence of animals under novel selective regimes by producing adaptive behaviors relevant to their ecology such as predator avoidance. Our results suggest that natural selection can favor certain behaviors over others when animals are confronted with different ecological challenges posed by global change. Therefore, we underscore the need to incorporate behavioral ecology into the study of how animals adaptively respond to human-induced environmental changes.

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“…Anolis lizards provide a good model for exploring behavioral responses to resource variation as they have been extensively studied and many aspects of their biology and ecology are well understood (see Losos, 2009). For example, perch height varies depending on sex (Lister & Garcia Aguayo, 1992;Schoener, 1967Schoener, , 1968, predation risk (Scott, Wilson, Jones, & Andrews, 1976), abiotic conditions (Lopez-Darias, Schoener, Spiller, & Losos, 2012), and hunger level (Paterson, 1999;Stamps, 1977;Stamps & Tanaka, 1981) and is therefore a good metric to evaluate anole foraging behavior and habitat use. Like many other anoles (Stamps, 1977), A. sagrei is F I G U R E 1 Conceptual representation of the relative importance of different lizard responses to pulsed seaweed subsidy over time.…”

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confidence: 99%

Marine subsidies change short‐term foraging activity and habitat utilization of terrestrial lizards

Kenny

Wright

Piovia‐Scott

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Resource pulses are brief periods of unusually high resource abundance. While population and community responses to resource pulses have been relatively well studied, how individual consumers respond to resource pulses has received less attention. Local consumers are often the first to respond to a resource pulse, and the form and timing of individual responses may influence how the effects of the pulse are transmitted throughout the community. Previous studies in Bahamian food webs have shown that detritivores associated with pulses of seaweed wrack provide an alternative prey source for lizards. When seaweed is abundant, lizards (Anolis sagrei) shift to consuming more marine‐derived prey and increase in density, which has important consequences for other components of the food web. We hypothesized that the diet shift requires individuals to alter their habitat use and foraging activity and that such responses may happen very rapidly. In this study, we used recorded video observations to investigate the immediate responses of lizards to an experimental seaweed pulse. We added seaweed to five treatment plots for comparison with five control plots. Immediately after seaweed addition, lizards decreased average perch height and increased movement rate, but these effects persisted for only 2 days. To explore the short‐term nature of the response, we used our field data to parametrize heuristic Markov chain models of perch height as a function of foraging state. These models suggest a “Synchronized‐satiation Hypothesis,” whereby lizards respond synchronously and feed quickly to satiation in the presence of a subsidy (causing an initial decrease in average perch height) and then return to the relative safety of higher perches. We suggest that the immediate responses of individual consumers to resource pulse events can provide insight into the mechanisms by which these consumers ultimately influence community‐level processes.

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Predators determine how weather affects the spatial niche of lizard prey: exploring niche dynamics at a fine scale

Cited by 25 publications

References 40 publications

Predation-associated modulation of movement-based signals by a Bahamian lizard

Predation-associated modulation of movement-based signals by a Bahamian lizard

Urbanization and biological invasion shape animal personalities

Marine subsidies change short‐term foraging activity and habitat utilization of terrestrial lizards

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