Sensory Stimuli Involved in Eliciting Agonistic Behavior in the Northern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus Undulatus Hyacinthinus

Comparisons among sequence analyses of actions in response to various treatments of visual and olfactory cues were carried out in the lizard, Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus, to determine the relative roles of these cues in eliciting agonistic behavior. Visual cues were tested using mirrors, models and clear partitions between cages. Chemical cues were tested using the secretion from the cloaca of males. A combination of visual and olfactory cues was tested by streaking a mirror with the substance from the cloaca of a male. The responses to these treatment conditions were videotaped, and the transition frequencies between the most frequently expressed behaviors (i.e., head turning, crawling, jaw snapping and bobbing) were analyzed according to Chi Square Analysis for Independence. According to these analyses, the transitions occurred in a probabilistic sequence (i.e., the occurrence of one action positively or negatively affected the probability of the occurrence of a particular following action). The patterns of significance in transition frequencies were similar for similar treatment conditions, reenforcing the conclusion that the transition sequences were not occurring at random. Visual cues appeared to play a primary role in eliciting agonistic behavior. Olfactory cues appeared to play a secondary part in agonistic behavior, coming into play only when a visual cue was present first