Home range and activity in a Virginia population of Sceloporus undulatus

A study of the lizard Sceloporus undulatus, conducted 1981-82 at an abandoned coal mine in Virginia, was designed to determine whether home range size, home range overlap, and patterns of behavior reflected the requirements of polygyny. The lizards were seen most often on the piles of debris that characterized the study site. Home range size was most strongly influenced by the debris pile size. Mean home range sizes (MCP, N≥5) were 69.3 m² and 59.9 m² for adult males and females, respectively, when data for all debris piles were pooled. The average overlap of home ranges for both study areas and for both years was 32% among adult females and 56% between adult males and females. No overlap among adult males was observed. Adult males usually associated with more than one female. Display frequency (push-ups) and total distance moved during 20 min observation periods were higher for adult males than adult females. Jiggling (rapid head nodding) was observed only in males. The frequencies of other behaviors (e. g. prey capture) did not differ between the sexes. Only one activity, substrate licking by males, seemed to decrease significantly as a function of date. Male home range owners interacted socially with females during the post-reproductive period. This behavior may increase a male's mating success the following spring, as most adult males that appeared on the study site during the mating season in 1982 had been home range owners in 1981.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Zoology

Department dc:contributor.department

Zoology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• Preston, Karen Elizabeth

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/104517

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/104517