Social Cost of Tail Loss in Uta stansburiana

Tail removal from dominant juvenile Uta stansburiana resulted in a decrease in social status in dyadic encounters. Most lizards were affected after removal of two-thirds of their tails. In some pairs, dominant lizards lost status after removal of one-third of their tails but regained dominance after...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1982-11, Vol.218 (4573), p.692-693
Main Authors: Fox, Stanley F., Rostker, Margaret A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal social behavior
Behavior
Ecological genetics
Guinea pigs
Housing
Lizards
Nerves
Predators
Social behavior in animals
Social classes
Social interaction
Vas deferens
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Summary:Tail removal from dominant juvenile Uta stansburiana resulted in a decrease in social status in dyadic encounters. Most lizards were affected after removal of two-thirds of their tails. In some pairs, dominant lizards lost status after removal of one-third of their tails but regained dominance after the other member of the pair lost two-thirds of its tail. Tail loss in nature may impose a social handicap to successful home range acquisition and thereby increase risk of death.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.218.4573.692