Chemoreception and mating behaviour of a tropical Australian skink
Date
2015-01
Authors
Scott, Mitchell L.
Llewelyn, John
Higgie, Megan
Hoskin, Conrad
Pike, Kyana
Phillips, Ben L.
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Verlag (Germany)
Abstract
In many reptile groups, molecular systematics is
currently revealing high levels of cryptic diversity (i.e. genetically
distinct lineages that are difficult to distinguish morphologically).
One obvious mode for mate discrimination in these
cryptic species is chemoreception. We hypothesise that diversity
in these groups is not cryptic for pheromones, and mate
recognition via chemoreception may be the primary reproductive
isolating mechanism. Here, we present a preliminary
study of chemoreception in Lampropholis coggeri, a
rainforest skink of north-eastern Australia. We first describe
the mating behaviour of captive pairs, showing that tongueflicking
is an important component for both males and females,
and find that L. coggeri mate more readily when paired
with a conspecific from their own population vs. from a nearby
population. Based on the assumption that tongue-flicking
represents the lizard’s interest, we then experimentally tested
scent discrimination using lizard-swabbed cotton buds presented
to captive individuals. We found both sexes tongueflicked
more to conspecific scent than to unscented controls.
Males tongue-flicked more to female scent than to male scent
but did not discriminate between mated and unmated females.
While females showed greater interest in conspecific scent,
they showed no greater interest in scent from males than females.
This lack of discrimination was true for both mated and
unmated females. Unexpectedly, however, mated females
tongue-flicked substantially more than unmated females.
Finally, males tended to tongue flick more often to female
scents from their own population than to a nearby population
that is moderately genetically divergent. Our results suggest
that chemoreception plays a role in mate recognition in this
species. Further work should extend to establishing mate recognition
between the highly divergent cryptic lineages within
this species and the pheromones underlying mate recognition.
Description
Keywords
Chemoreception, Mate recognition, Cryptic species, Mate choice, Conspecific, Tongue flick, Scent, Pheromones, Mating behaviour
Citation
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Source
acta ethologica
Type
Journal article
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DOI
10.1007/s10211-015-0213-0