Fatal attraction territorial males of a neotropical lizard increase predation risk when females are sexually receptive

• Published in: Behavioral ecology and sociobiology Vol. 75; no. 12; pp. 1 - 11
• Main Authors: Ventura, Stefânia P. R., Galdino, Conrado A. B., Peixoto, Paulo Enrique C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Science + Business Media 01.12.2021; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Ecology; antipredatory behavior; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; breeding season; Costs; Decisions; escape behavior; Females; Field tests; Life Sciences; Lizards; Males; Mating; Neotropics; ORIGINAL ARTICLE; Predation; Predators; Prey; prey species; Risk; Seasons; Sexual behavior; sociobiology; Zoology; Social cost; Optimal escape theory; Anti-predatory strategies; Flight initiation distance
• ISSN: 0340-5443; 1432-0762
• DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03112-2

Studies that test the optimal escape theory often show that males base their escape strategies on the costs and benefits of escaping. Consequently, some studies have shown that males exhibit riskier anti-predatory strategies when they are near females, probably to avoid losing reproductive opportunities. However, since in some species females have a limited reproductive season, this reduction in mating opportunities should be more pronounced during the female reproductive season. Therefore, males should express reduced anti-predatory behaviors when females are fertile. In this study, we used the lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae as study subject to evaluate the hypothesis that during the female reproductive season, males will express riskier anti-predatory behaviors than in the non-reproductive season. To accomplish this, we recorded the flight initiation distance (FID) and the time spent in the refuge of males with and without previous exposure to a female, during both the female reproductive and non-reproductive seasons. We found that after exposure to females, males decreased their FID. Although this effect occurred in both seasons, it was stronger during the female reproductive season. Males also spent less time in refuges when females were sexually receptive. Our results indicated that the presence of females induces males to adopt riskier escape decisions, and that the assumed risks are even greater when females represent an immediate chance to mate.