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Monogamy and Fidelity in the Australian Sleepy Lizard


            
             Are there species other than animals or birds that have definitive behavioral and sexual patterns? What are the criteria for reptiles, amphibians, etc. to choose their partners?.
             Response.
             Bull (1988) studied the behavioral nature of a large herbivorous skink, Trachydosaurus rugous to analyze the reason for social monogamy and mate fidelity. Bull along with Pamula (1998), further worked to determine whether enhanced vigilance may be one of the benefits of monogamy. Bull (1988) based his theory on Stamps (1983) strategy. Stamp suggested that smaller and territorial lizards practice polygamy, while the larger species and those with overlapping home ranges practice monogamy. The methodology adopted by Bull was random capture. For each capture, the lizard location, sex, weight and snout-vent length were recorded. Records were studied to figure out when pairing was observed. Further, mating in lizards was also studied by following individual lizards and noting down their behavioral patterns.
             The results revealed that pairing was seasonal. For most of the year, the lizard remained alone. However, during the breeding months of October and November most of them were found in pairs. Paring and Breeding of the lizard were highly related. It was also found that the pairs didn't stay together for the entirety of the day, suggesting that they would separate temporarily. The tagged lizards were always found with their original partner in spite of overlapping home ranges. Bulls work also revealed that although both the sexes did not significantly vary in length, the female lizards weighed heavier than the men. These experiments suggested that there was a definitive mating pattern followed by the T. rugosus. Extended duration of pairing could imply that males ensured that they were present with their females, when she became receptive. It can also be interpreted that, males ensured their presence to guard their mates from other males.


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