Sex differences in animal coloration often result from sex‐dependent regulatory mechanisms. Still, some species exhibit incomplete sexual dimorphism as females carry a rudimentary version of a costly male trait, leading to intralocus sexual conflict. The underlying physiology and condition dependence of these traits can inform why such conflicts remain unresolved. In eastern fence lizards (
Animals capable of rapid (i.e., physiological) body color change may use color to respond quickly to changing social or physical environments. Because males and females often differ in their environments, the sexes may use changes in body color differently, reflecting sexual dimorphism in ecological, behavioral, or morphological traits. Green anole lizards,
Many animals can change their body color in response to their environments, and in many species, males and females experience different environments. In this study, we examined whether the sexes of green anole lizards use the ability to rapidly change their body color between green and brown for different functions. We found that, when a lizard was first sighted, its body color did not appear to match its background color in either sex (suggesting that color change does not contribute to avoidance of detection by potential predators), and body color was not associated with temperature for either sex (i.e., color was unlikely to influence body temperature). Yet, males changed color more often when performing social displays to other lizards, while females remained green during social displays. Thus, rapid color change plays an important role in social communication in both sexes, highlighting how males and females may use the same behavior to convey different messages.
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10401251
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Science + Business Media
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
- Volume:
- 77
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0340-5443
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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