Abstract

VICENTE, Natalin S  and  HALLOY, Monique. El auto-reconocimiento químico en Liolaemus pacha (Iguania: Liolaemidae) está influenciado por la estación. Cuad. herpetol. [online]. 2018, vol.32, n.1, pp.23-29. ISSN 1852-5768.

Chemical self-recognition in Liolaemus pacha (Iguania: Liolaemidae) is influenced by sea­son. Chemical signals play an important role in social and sexual recognition in several lizard species. Here, we investigated whether the lizard Liolaemus pacha can recognize their own chemical scents (i.e., self-recognition) from a control. In addition, the effect of reproductive vs. post-reproductive season was considered. We experimentally tested scent discrimination, using the terrarium previously occupied by the individual and an untreated terrarium as a control. We estimated the latency to the first tongue flick and the number of tongue flicks for 10 min. Only during the post-reproductive season, L. pacha lizards produced more tongue flicks when exposed to own scents than to a control, suggesting self-recognition. Chemical signals could be used as territorial scent marks, mediating the advertisement of boundaries. We discuss the lack of self-recognition during reproductive season. Lizards showed a short latency to the first tongue flick and a high number of tongue flicks during the reproductive season, which might be associated with physiological changes related mainly to reproduction.

Keywords : Behavior; Communication; Pheromones; Lizards; Tongue flicks.

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