Tail Autotomy and Running Speed in the Lizards Cophosaurus texanus and Uma notata

Punzo, Fred

doi:10.2307/1563731

Cited by 88 publications

(62 citation statements)

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“…Any reduction in speed (Punzo 1982, Daniels 1985, Robinson et al 1991a or evasiveness due to missing limbs could be detrimental for crabs that rely primarily on escape. In escape response experiments, asymmetrical injuries involving loss of a single swimming leg or a cheliped and walking leg from the same side slowed swimming speed by ca 36% compared with intact controls (Fig.…”

Section: Cannibalism and Autotomymentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Smith¹

1995

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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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.

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Section: Cannibalism and Autotomymentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Smith¹

1995

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Effects of tail loss on running speed have been found to be highly variable among lizard species (McElroy and Bergmann, 2013) and are thus hypothesized to be dependent upon the role of the tail in locomotion (Vitt et al, 1977). For example, a decrease in sprint speed following autotomy has been reported for six-lined racerunners (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) (Ballinger et al, 1979), desert fringe-toed lizards (Uma notata) (Punzo, 1982) and greater earless lizards (Cophosaurus texanus) (Punzo, 1982), suggesting that locomotor performance is enhanced by the presence of the tail. Some lizards, however, exhibit no difference in sprint speed following autotomy [velvet geckos (Oedura lesueurii) (Kelehear and Webb, 2006)], whereas others can run more than twice as fast without the tail [marbled geckos (Christinus marmoratus) (Daniels, 1983)], suggesting that the tail does not assist in locomotion in these animals, but may actually impede faster running because of its relatively great weight or because it generates friction while being dragged along the ground, or both.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Jagnandan

Russell

Higham

2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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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.

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“…The first two are complex functional units, and, as with any such morphological system, manipulations (altering limb length or removing toe pads) to demonstrate their significance in increasing locomotor performance are problematic, as it is difficult to establish appropriate controls. Numerous intraspecific studies have quantified differential running performance in lizards (e.g., Ballinger et aI., 1973;Bennett, 1980;Huey, 1982;Punzo, 1982;Hertz, 1983;Huey and Hertz, 1984), but none have studied characters presumed to have evolved specifically to aid locomotion (Laerm [1973] anecdotally reported reduced locomotor effectiveness in uncontrolled fringe removal experiments with water-running Basiliscus).…”

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confidence: 99%

AN EXPERIMENTAL CONFIRMATION OF MORPHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION: TOE FRINGES IN THE SAND‐DWELLING LIZARD UMA SCOPARIA

Carothers

1986

Evolution

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Tail Autotomy and Running Speed in the Lizards Cophosaurus texanus and Uma notata

Cited by 88 publications

References 0 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

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

AN EXPERIMENTAL CONFIRMATION OF MORPHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION: TOE FRINGES IN THE SAND‐DWELLING LIZARD UMA SCOPARIA

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