Characteristics and Use of the Tail in Signaling by the Zebra-Tailed Lizard (Callisaurus Draconoides) (Report‪)‬

Interactions between animals are refined by flow of information; as participants assess their abilities and the social environment, they adjust their behavior. signals and morphological structures can be used specifically to convey information. some signals are believed to discourage pursuit by predators (Woodland et al., 1980; FitzGibbon and Fanshawe, 1988; Holley, 1993; Cresswell, 1994); these signals to deter pursuit can indicate alertness or some aspect of escape ability ofprey (Hasson, 1991; caro, 1995). other signals can be used to assess prospective competitors and mates (McComb, 1991; Wagner, 1992), whereas some signals function in both predator-prey and social interactions (Randall and Stevens, 1987; Leal and Rodriguez-Robles, 1997; Cooper, 2001). Many animals use morphological features to convey information (Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1998). These features can be used to indicate size, condition, or dominance in conspecific interactions. The extent of green coloration in male sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) seems to be indicative of fighting ability (olsson, 1994), as does the throat color of male tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus; Thompson and Moore, 1991) and size of chest patches in agamid lizards (Ctenophorus decresii; Osborne, 2005). Although there does not seem to be previous work examining how variation in morphological features might play a role in signaling to predators, presence of, and variation in, such features can convey information about signalers that might serve to inform predators about the likelihood of successful pursuit. Further information is needed on the extent to which signals serve multiple functions.