Abstract The shovel-snouted sand lizard, Meroles anchietae, is a small lacertid that inhabits the aeolian sand dunes of the Namib Desert. We conducted focal observations to characterize the movement patterns of adult male, adult female, and juvenile M. anchietae in their preferred habitat: dune slip faces. Movement varied considerably among demographic classes. Both adult males and females made longer moves than juveniles, but males moved less frequently than females or juveniles. Males exhibited shorter path lengths and shorter net displacements than females or juveniles. Turn angle distributions varied among classes, with females differing from the other two classes. For all three classes, the distribution of movement directions differed from uniform, with lateral moves across the slip face being most common. Movement across the slip face reflects both the ease with which lizards can navigate the substrate and behavioral factors such as foraging strategy and social interactions. Distance and direction pairings differed both from random expectations and among the demographic classes. Movement characteristics indicate that demographic classes respond to the environment differently, even while using the same habitat.

中文翻译：

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Slidin' away: 沙丘栖息蜥蜴 Meroles anchietae 运动行为的人口统计学差异

摘要 铲鼻沙蜥 Meroles anchietae 是一种栖息在纳米布沙漠风成沙丘的小型蜥蜴。我们进行了重点观察，以描述成年雄性、成年雌性和幼年 M. anchietae 在其首选栖息地：沙丘滑面的运动模式。人口类别之间的流动差异很大。成年雄性和雌性的移动时间都比幼鱼长，但雄性的移动频率低于雌性或幼鱼。与雌性或青少年相比，雄性表现出更短的路径长度和更短的净位移。不同班级的转弯角度分布不同，女性与其他两个班级不同。对于所有三个类别，运动方向的分布与均匀分布不同，滑动面的横向运动最为常见。穿过滑面的运动既反映了蜥蜴在基质中导航的难易程度，也反映了觅食策略和社交互动等行为因素。距离和方向配对既不同于随机预期，也不同于人口统计类别。运动特征表明，即使使用相同的栖息地，人口类别对环境的反应也不同。