Sex-specific discrimination of familiar and unfamiliar mates in the Tokay gecko.

ABSTRACT: Social animals need to keep track of other individuals in their group to be able to adjust their behaviour accordingly and facilitate group cohesion. This recognition ability varies across species and is influenced by cognitive capacities such as learning and memory. In reptiles, particularly Squamates (lizards, snakes, and worm lizards), chemical communication is pivotal for territoriality, reproduction, and other social interactions. However, the cognitive processes underlying these social interactions remain understudied. In our study, we examined the ability of male and female Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) to chemically differentiate familiar and unfamiliar mating partners. Our findings suggest that both sexes can make this distinction, with males responding more to the odour of a familia

SUBMITTER: Verger MO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11306719 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature