CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

ANDEAN LIZARD (Phymaturus williamsi). PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTION. Predation is a selective force that models the prey populations (Sih et al. 1985. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 16:269-311). However, predator-prey interactions are rarely observed in the field. There is no previous studies about the interaction of P. williamsi with predators. We aim to document field observations over the perception of the Andean Lizard during basking behavior to attacks of different species of birds, in all cases without capture success. These observations reveal that the Andean Lizards perceive the shadow or a bird approaching them as a possible threat. It also allows to consider the observed species as ideal to study their predator-prey interaction, which would ensure better future decisions about their management, threat categorization and conservation.