Testing the Functionality of Lipids from Feces in the Conspecific Recognition of the Weeping lizard, Liolaemus chiliensis

VALDECANTOS SOLEDAD; RUIZ MONACHESI, MARIO RICARDO; LABRA, ANTONIETA

JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY

SOC STUDY AMPHIBIANS REPTILES

Lugar: Salt Lake City; Año: 2020 vol. 54 p. 476 - 479

0022-1511

Pheromones, a mix of proteins and lipids, are involved in lizards? conspecificrecognition. In this study, we specifically address whether fecal lipids are involved inconspecific recognition of the Weeping lizard, Liolaemus chiliensis. The feces of each sexwere dissolved in n-hexane to isolate their lipidic fraction. We then exposed individuals ofboth sexes of L. chiliensis to the lipidic fractions of each sex and a control (n-hexane),recording their responses. Lizards of both sexes were more active when exposed to thelipids from male than female feces or the control, suggesting that the lipidic fraction ofmale feces conveys some information for conspecific recognition. There was, however, nofurther evidence of recognition and herein we offer possible explanations for this lowresponsiveness to the fecal lipidic fractions.