Do colour morphs of wall lizards express different personalities?

Abstract Colour morphs sometimes have different behavioural strategies which may be maintained by frequency or density dependence mechanisms. We investigated temporal changes in behavioural reaction to a novel environment among colour morphs (yellow, orange, white) of the European wall lizard (Podar...

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Veröffentlicht in:Biological journal of the Linnean Society 2021-08, Vol.133 (4), p.1139-1151
Hauptverfasser: Sreelatha, Lekshmi B, Carretero, Miguel Angel, Pérez I De Lanuza, Guillem, Klomp, Danielle A, Boratyński, Zbyszek
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Abstract Colour morphs sometimes have different behavioural strategies which may be maintained by frequency or density dependence mechanisms. We investigated temporal changes in behavioural reaction to a novel environment among colour morphs (yellow, orange, white) of the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Adult males were given two 15 min experimental trials, and their locomotion was highly consistent between the two trials. Boldness, freezing and escape behaviour were less repeatable. Colour morphs differed in their locomotion and freezing behaviour. Boldness was similar among the morphs, whereas escape behaviour was lowest in yellow morph. Consequently, yellow morph males tended to explore novel environments quickly and thus were more likely to move to potentially safe areas. Orange and white males showed more fear when exposed to a novel environment. Whether such alternative behavioural strategies can contribute to the maintenance of variable fitness optima among the morphs and ultimately to the maintenance of polymorphism remains open to further investigation.
ISSN:0024-4066
1095-8312
DOI:10.1093/biolinnean/blab058