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Behavioural ecology of the Australian eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii): Investigating the mechanisms underpinning social behaviour in a gregarious lizard
Dissertation   Open access

Behavioural ecology of the Australian eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii): Investigating the mechanisms underpinning social behaviour in a gregarious lizard

Carmen Piza Roca
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast
2018
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00172
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Abstract

reptile social behaviour home range utilization distribution social avoidance social preference kinship structure sexual selection alternative mating tactics social dominance inbreeding polyandry SNP genotyping parentage relatedness
Behavioural ecology seeks to understand the evolutionary mechanisms underpinning animal sociality. The main drivers of variation in social behaviour are generally considered to be resource distribution and competition, predation pressure, sexual selection, inclusive fitness, and inbreeding avoidance (reviewed in Chapter 1). However, most of our knowledge in this field comes from mammalian, bird and insect studies. Reptiles, to date, have been overlooked and this is likely due to the historical perception that they are largely asocial. Yet, an increasing body of literature demonstrates that they can exhibit complex social behaviours and defined social structures. Due to their particular characteristics, reptiles may prove to be valuable study systems in behavioural ecology research. In this thesis, I aimed to help address this gap in the literature by investigating various mechanisms underpinning sociality in the eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), a social, polygamous reptile that lacks parental care. First, I investigated whether eastern water dragons may be using social tactics as a means of managing conflict associated with group living, and how this may vary across their home range (Chapter 2). Given that levels of competition and social conflict are likely to differ through space, for instance due to heterogeneous distribution of resources and conspecifics, we would expect individuals to adjust their social behaviour accordingly. This, however, had not been explicitly investigated to date. I was able to demonstrate how individuals modify their social tactics across space. This was evidenced by an increase in the rates of both long-term social preferences and avoidances within the core home range, where both population density and rates of agonistic displays were higher. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for the spatial dimension when studying social behaviour, and suggest the use of spatial social plasticity to balance the social conflict experienced across the home range.

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