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Spontaneous Immobility of the Japanese Lacertid Lizard, Takydromus Tachydromoides

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Spontaneous Immobility of the Japanese Lacertid Lizard, Takydromus Tachydromoides Japanese Journal of Herpetology 14 (1): 1-5., Jun. 1991 (C)1991 by The HerpetologicalSociety of Japan Spontaneous Immobility of the Japanese Lacertid Lizard, Takydromus tachydromoides AKIRA MORI Abstract: Frequencies of movement, as an index of propensity for immobility, of Takydromus tachydromoides were measured in the encounters with a potential predator Elaphe quadrivirgata (Session A) or a sympatric non-predator Eumeces latiscutatus (Session B), or in the absence of other animals (Session C). Frequency of movement in Session A was significantly lower than in Sessions B and C. In Session B, T. tachydromoides moved significantly less frequently during the first 10min than dur- ing the latter 10min. The lizards previously exposed to E. quadrivirgata reduced their movements in the subsequent Session B with significantly high frequency when com- pared with animals without such experience. It is suggested that immobility of T. tachydromoides is an adaptive antipredator behavior to avoid detection by a visually orienting predator. Key words: Immobility; Takydromus tachydromoides; Antipredator behavior; Elaphe quadrivirgata; Lacertidae Lizards employ a variety of morphological mobility of iguanids and gekkonids in which the and behavioral antipredator mechanisms. animal was held so that movement was impossi- Greene (1988) summarized reptilian antipredator ble and restrained until tonic immobility resulted mechanisms and listed 60 phenotypic categories, (e. g., Gallup, 1973; Hennig, 1979; Herzog, including concealing coloration, immobility, 1984), few quantitative studies have locomotor escape, and tail display. It is certain demonstrated immobility of lizards voluntarily that almost all lizard species possess more than exhibited in the presence of a predator. one defensive tactic and several lizards respond Takydromus tachydromoides, a slender, fast- with different antipredator behavior according moving lacertid lizard possessing a long to the environmental and/or situational contexts autotomous tail (Fukada and Ishihara, 1967), which they confront (e. g., Hennig, 1979; Thoen has a brownish body coloration which makes et al., 1986; Greene, 1988). this animal very inconspicuous in grassy areas "S pontaneous immobility" (or freezing) can where it usually lives. In staged predatory en- be distinguished from "tonic immobility" (or counters, this lizard exhibits several antipredator animal hypnosis), a behavioral response to behaviors according to situational contexts restraint in which the animal appears to be (Mori, 1990). As in other animals, the initial unresponsive to stimulation (after Herzog, 1984; response of T. tachydromoides seems to be im- Greene, 1988), yet different definitions of these mobility to avoid detection by a predator. In two wordings are seen in some papers (e. g., this paper, I demonstrate that the spontaneous Brodie et al., 1974). Immobility, often coupled immobility of T. tachydromoides is elicited by with cryptic coloration, is considered to be the in- the presence of a predator. As a result, this itial antipredator response that increases the pro- behavior is interpreted as one of the antipredator bability that the prey will escape detection by tactics of this lizard. visually orienting predators (e. g., Heatwole, 1968; Brodie et al., 1974, Gregory, 1979). On MATERIALSAND METHODS the other hand, tonic immobility is usually the The subjects were 19 adult Takydromus tachy- final behavioral stage which is elicited after exter- dromoides (7 males and 12 females; snout-vent nal restraint (see Arduino and Gould, 1984). length, 46-61mm) collected from Osaka (N=2) Although there are several studies on tonic im- and Kyoto (N=10) Prefectures, and Kuchinoshima (N=4) and Takeshima (N=3) Accepted 6 Mar. 1991 Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. 2 Jpn.J.Herpetol.14(1).1991 Lizards from the latter three groups included the maintained between 27.0-30.5°C during the ex- same individuals used in another experiment periment. (Mori, 1990). There were no obvious All trials were recorded with a video tape behavioral differences observed between the four monitor (National NV-8480, VHS type) and a groups. All lizards were housed individually in color video camera (National VZ-C70). Pro- clear plastic cages (315×170×235mm) with a pensity for immobility was evaluated by quanti- water bowl and a shelter, and were maintained fying the frequencies of movement by videotape under a natural photoperiod for two to four analyses. The bottom of the arena was divided months before the experiments. The room into eight equal sections, and the number of temperature varied between 17 and 31℃. They times the lizard changed sections was counted (i. were fed mealworms two or three times per e., amount of movement). The frequency of week. Water was available ad libitum. movement (FM) was calculated for each session The testing arena (650×400×250mm) was as (amount of movement) / (observed dura- made of white polypropylene corrugated board tion). In all B and C sessions, duration of obser- except for a transparent plastic ceiling, and con- vation was 20min. It is likely that the actual tained a cardboard floor marked with 2cm snake attack affected the behavior of T. tachy- grids. The arena was divided into two chambers dromoides, especially in the frequency of move- (large: 510×400×250mm, and small: ment. Thus, in Session A, observation was ter- 140×400×250mm) by a plastic insert which minated when the snake first attacked or pursued could be removed from the arena by sliding it the lizard. Escape movements of T. tachydro- out through a slit at the front wall. After each moides after the attack of the snake were not in- trial, the arena was washed with water and the cluded in the amount of movement. Conse- cardboard floor was replaced. quently, the observation period varied from 0.33 Trials consisted of three sessions. T. tachy- to 20min (x=8.3min) in Session A. dromoides was introduced into the large Statistical significance was tested by Mann- chamber and a Japanese striped snake, Elaphe Whitney's U-tests or Wilcoxon signed-ranks quadrivirgata (a well known natural predator of tests (between two samples) and Friedman two- T. tachydromoides: Mori and Moriguchi, 1988: way ANOVA (among three samples) followed Session A), or Eumeces latiscutatus (a sympatric by multiple comparisons (Siegel and Castellan, scincid lizard but not a possible predator of T. 1988). tachydromoides: Session B, control for the presence of a non-predator animal) was introduc- RESULTS ed into the small chamber. In Session C, only Two T. tachydromoides never moved for T. tachydromoides was introduced into the 20min in Session A in which the snake also arena in the absence of other animals (control remained motionless. Other 11 lizards remain- for experimental milieu). Each T. tachydro- ed motionless until the snake closely approach- moides was tested in all the three sessions in non- ed, and then, the lizards escaped by running, fixed order. Each session was initiated by the which was followed by the attack of the snake. removal of the insert from the arena and lasted On the other hand, only one individual remained for 20min at most (see below). A ten-minute in- immobile throughout in both Sessions B and C. terval was allowed between sessions. A total of The type of session affected FM of T. tachy- 11 E. quadrivirgata were used for Session A (one dromoides significantly (X2r=19.6, dF=2, to three trials per individual). Temperature was p<0.001). The FM was significantly lower in TABLE 1. Amount of movement (AM), duration of observation (OD) and frequency of movement (FM=AM/OD) of Takydromus tachydromoides in encounters with Elaphe quadrivirgata (Session A) or Eumeces latiscutatus (Session B) and in the absence of other animals (Session C). The FM is also calculated for the first and latter 10min separately, for Sessions B and C. MORI-LIZARD IMMOBILITY 3 Session A (x=0.59) than in Sessions B and C TABLE2. Frequency of movement (FM) of Taky- (x=2.14 and 2.72, respectively; p<0.05; Table dromus tachydromoides in the encounters with 1). There was no significant difference in FM Eumeces latiscutatus for the first and the latter between Sessions B and C (p>0.05). 10 min of the observation period. T. tachydro- Because duration of observation in Sessions B moides was exposed to a snake (Session A) prior and C (20min) was much longer than in Session to Session B (A-B) or not (B-A). A (x=8.3min), it is possible that the higher FM in the former two sessions may reflect the effect of acclimation of T. tachydromoides to the arena rather than the reducing effect of the presence of a predator in Session A. Therefore, Sessions B and C were partitioned into 2 10-min blocks, and a Wilcoxon signed ranks test was conducted in Sessions B and C separately. The analyzed using the data from 12 trials where Ses- FM for the first 10min in Session B (x=1.61) sion B was conducted prior to Session A. As for was significantly lower than that for the latter Sessions B and C only the first 10min data were 10min (x=2.68; z=-3.00, p<0.01). There used. The FM was significantly affected by the was no significant difference in FM between the type of sessions (x2r=18.2, dF=2, p<0.001). first and latter 10min in Session C (z=-0.57, The FM in Session A (x=0.26) was significantly p>0.05). lower than in Sessions B and C (x=2.17 and Comparison of FM among the three sessions 3.60, respectively; p<0.05; Table 3). There was was made again, but this time only the first no significant difference in FM between Sessions 10 min data were used as for Sessions B and C B and C (p>0.05). As for the latter 10min, because the time effect was significant in Session there was no significant difference in FM bet- B (see above).
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