Meeting Abstract
Social interactions in nonmammalian vertebrates are modulated by arginine vasotocin (AVT), which functions similarly to its mammalian homologue, vasopressin. AVT impacts the performance of and response to visual signals in reptiles, but whether AVT also operates within the chemosensory system as it does in mammals is unknown, despite social odors being potent modifiers of aggressive and reproductive behavior. Previous studies in green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) linked elevated levels of exogenous AVT in males (AVT-males) to lower rates of aggressive visual displays, whereas untreated females visually displayed to AVT-males more than to saline-treated Control-males. Here, we test whether exogenous AVT in Resident-males impacts the chemosensory or locomotor behavior of conspecifics (Intruders). We injected Resident-males with either AVT or a Control solution, and after 10 mins alone in their home tanks, we presented Resident-males with an untreated Intruder (male or female) for 30 mins. We found that Intruder-males performed more chemical behavior towards AVT-males than to Control-males, whereas AVT-males responded with a chemical display to Intruder-females faster than did Control-males. In contrast, visual behavior did not differ between treatment groups for either Resident-males or Intruders in this experiment. Our results demonstrate for the first time that AVT modulates chemosensory behavior in reptiles, having important evolutionary implications regarding multimodal communication and the mechanisms used by AVT to modulate animal interactions.
