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Anti-predatory sleep strategies are conserved in the agamid lizard Monilesaurus rouxii
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ( IF 2.3 ) Pub Date : 2020-09-15 , DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02905-1
Milena Bors , Nitya Prakash Mohanty , Pogiri Gowri Shankar

Sleep is an essential part of animal biology, yet its ecological aspects such as predator avoidance remain understudied, especially in the wild. Sleep behaviour is likely to be subject to selection pressure and evolution, leading to sleep strategies to ensure survival during this vulnerable state. How sleep strategies of animals respond to alteration of macro-habitat has been largely unexplored. This study aimed to determine the effect of habitat type on the sleep ecology of the agamid lizard Monilesaurus rouxii. We carried out field work in the Western Ghats (India) biodiversity hotspot, in two differing habitat types—natural wet evergreen forests and human—modified Areca catechu plantations. We collected data on perches used by lizards for sleep, both in terms of their structural characteristics and their use (e.g. lizard head direction). To determine perch selection, we compared perch use with perch availability in both habitat types. Habitat type had limited influence on sleep perch selection of M. rouxii, with lizards selecting only unstable narrow-girthed plants, suggesting a highly conserved sleep strategy driven by predator avoidance. The majority of sleeping lizards displayed an ‘inward’ head direction, towards the potential path of a predator approaching from the ground. However, this strategy to select for narrow-girthed plants constrained lizards to use lower, unsafe sleep perches in plantations (driven by availability), which could have consequences for their survival. To our knowledge, our study is the first to examine in detail the effect of habitat alteration on sleep strategies in lizards. Sleep strategies of animals in the wild could affect their chances of survival and their performance during active behaviours. ‘Where’ and ‘how’ animals sleep are important aspects of their sleep strategy. However, it is unexplored if these choices would change in response to human modification of the natural habitat. We compared sleep site selection in the semi-arboreal agamid lizard Monilesaurus rouxii in two different habitats (natural and human-modified). Lizards always chose narrow, unstable perch plants to sleep, as they allow for early detection of an approaching predator. In the human-modified habitat (Areca catechu plantations), opting for narrow unstable perches led to lizards using significantly lower perches, probably leaving them vulnerable to predators approaching from the ground. Our results show that exploring sleep strategies in the wild is necessary to properly assess the effects of habitat modification on species.

中文翻译:

反掠食性睡眠策略在 agamid 蜥蜴 Monilesaurus rouxii 中是保守的

睡眠是动物生物学的重要组成部分,但其生态方面(例如避免捕食者)仍未得到充分研究,尤其是在野外。睡眠行为很可能会受到选择压力和进化的影响,从而导致在这种脆弱状态下确保生存的睡眠策略。动物的睡眠策略如何对宏观栖息地的改变做出反应,在很大程度上尚未得到探索。本研究旨在确定栖息地类型对巨蜥 Monilesaurus rouxii 睡眠生态的影响。我们在西高止山脉(印度)生物多样性热点地区进行了实地工作,在两种不同的栖息地类型——天然湿常绿森林和人类改造的槟榔种植园。我们收集了蜥蜴用于睡眠的栖木的数据,包括它们的结构特征和用途(例如蜥蜴头部方向)。为了确定鲈鱼的选择,我们比较了两种栖息地类型的鲈鱼使用和鲈鱼可用性。栖息地类型对 M. rouxii 的睡眠鲈鱼选择的影响有限,蜥蜴只选择不稳定的窄环植物,这表明一种由躲避捕食者驱动的高度保守的睡眠策略。大多数睡觉的蜥蜴显示出“向内”的头部方向,朝向从地面接近的捕食者的潜在路径。然而,这种选择窄环植物的策略限制了蜥蜴在种植园中使用较低、不安全的睡眠栖息地(由可用性驱动),这可能会对它们的生存产生影响。据我们所知,我们的研究首次详细研究了栖息地改变对蜥蜴睡眠策略的影响。野生动物的睡眠策略可能会影响它们的生存机会和它们在主动行为中的表现。“在哪里”和“如何”动物睡觉是它们睡眠策略的重要方面。然而,这些选择是否会因人类对自然栖息地的改变而改变,目前尚无定论。我们比较了两种不同栖息地(自然和人类改造的)半树栖蜥蜴 Monilesaurus rouxii 的睡眠地点选择。蜥蜴总是选择狭窄、不稳定的栖木植物睡觉,因为它们可以及早发现接近的捕食者。在人类改造的栖息地(槟榔种植园),选择狭窄的不稳定栖息地导致蜥蜴使用明显较低的栖息地,这可能使它们容易受到从地面接近的捕食者的攻击。
更新日期:2020-09-15
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