Courtship attention in sagebrush lizards varies with male identity and female reproductive state.

ABSTRACT: Previous experiments suggest that males spend more time with the more receptive of 2 novel females or the one with the higher fitness potential. However, males often court individual females repeatedly over a season; for example, male lizards sequentially visit familiar females as they patrol territorial boundaries. It may benefit males to vary display intensity as they move between multiple females. In this study, we explored the factors influencing amount of male courtship to familiar females in the sagebrush lizard, Sceloporus graciosus. We tested whether males vary the amount of courtship exhibited due to individual differences among males, female reproductive state, or female fitness potential. Each male was allowed to interact separately, but repeatedly, with 2 females until both fem

SUBMITTER: Ruiz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2583109 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature