HUYGHE, K; SCHEERS, H; VAN DAMME, R; Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium; Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium; Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium: Determinants of fighting ability in the lizard Gallotia galloti

Gallotia galloti is a large lacertid lizard, endemic to the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). In the field, large males maintain territories and exhibit strong aggression towards other males. Agonistic interactions include display behaviour, biting and chases. Dominant males are believed to have increased access to basking spots, hiding places, food and females. Therefore, fighting ability is probably an important fitness component. In this study, we explore which morphological and performance traits determine the fighting ability of individual males. Fighting ability of 40 adult male G. galloti was assessed in paired staged contests, in which the opponents were induced to fight for access over a single heat source. Dominance was assessed both by scoring agonistic behaviours (aggressive: throat inflations, vertical head movements, charging, biting; defensive: fleeing, hiding) and by recording space use (access to heat source). The dominance scores were correlated with morphological traits (body size, head size and shape, and the color and size of lateral badges) and performance measures (maximum sprint speed, acceleration capacity, endurance, manoeuvrability and bite force).