My Senior Comp Project:
The Effects of Territory Ownership on Dominance Status of Male Green Anoles, (Anolis carolinensis)
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Introduction:
Green anoles have a complex dominance hierarchy
in which individuals own territory in the wild. Territories can range
in quality, due to size, food resources available, height of the territory
and number of females that are present. The lizards constantly defend
their territory, and will often times lose them to males that are displaced.
It would be advantageous to hold a territory once it is acquired, because
losing it means a large loss for the lizards, including food resources,
protection and mating opportunities.
The green anole is a good test subject because they are easy to observe,
test and manipulate. Not only are green anoles easy to find in the wild,
they are fairly inexpensive in purchasing and in their upkeep and they
have a very precise and easily observable set of characteristics that
they display when they are with conspecifics. The green anole, often called
the American chameleon, can change its coloration from bright green to
a dark brownish-gray in response to stress. During confrontations between
males and during the mating and courtship displays, the male will begin
a series of headbobs, and dewlap protrusions. The dewlap is a flap of
red colored skin underneath the jaw. During confrontation over territories,
the males will begin a set of saggital compressions of the body, and will
develop dark eye spots in the post orbital region of the head.
A characteristic behavior of the male green anole. The dewlap is extended as a warning and is a sign of agressive behavior.