Rapid acquisition of antipredatory responses to new predators by an insular lizard
[EN] Alien predators may impose a great threat to naïve prey. Ibiza wall lizards (Podarcis pityusensis) live in Ibiza, a snake-free island until 2003. We studied the lizards’ discrimination of scents of two invader snakes: one that depredates lizards, the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2017 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universidad de León |
| Repositorio: | BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/23541 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-016-2246-4 https://hdl.handle.net/10612/23541 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Zoología Comportamiento antidepredador Depredación Lagartijas Podarcis Podarcis pityusensis Serpientes Comunicación química Response to predators Lizards Snakes Chemical discrimination Invasive species Learning 2401.02 Comportamiento Animal 2401.06 Ecología Animal 3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat 3105.12 Ordenación y Conservación de la Fauna Silvestre |
| Sumario: | [EN] Alien predators may impose a great threat to naïve prey. Ibiza wall lizards (Podarcis pityusensis) live in Ibiza, a snake-free island until 2003. We studied the lizards’ discrimination of scents of two invader snakes: one that depredates lizards, the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis), and another that does not, the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris). We compared two populations of Ibiza wall lizards: one from the main island of Ibiza, which coexists with both snakes, and another from the nearby snake-free islet of Sal Rossa. Lizards from Ibiza recognized the scent of the horseshoe whip snake and responded with clear antipredatory behaviours. However, they reacted to the scent of the ladder snake similarly to that of the controls (odourless control and pungent scent). Lizards from Sal Rossa did not respond to any of the snakes or the controls. Our results show that lizards can rapidly acquire the ability to react to a novel predator. As only about ten generations of lizards have coexisted with snakes, the most plausible explanation to our results is that lizards have learned to associate the scent of the predatory snake with a threat. This is the first study reporting the rapid acquisition of lizards’ antipredatory responses to the chemical cues of novel predators. However, more research is needed in order to identify the mechanisms implicated in the response |
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