McBrayer, L.D.*; Reilly, S.M.: The variation in feeding behavior of scleroglossan and autarchoglossan lizards

One of the primary goals of functional morphology is the quantification of behavior in relation to morphological variation. The two major clades of lizards, scleroglossa and autarchoglossa, show substantial variation in cranial morphology, hyoid apparatus, tongue musculature, and the functional morphology of lizard feeding. However, our understanding of the behavioral variation present in lizard feeding is limited and no work to date has adequately described the range of behaviors lizards use to ingest and process prey. The goal of this study is to describe and quantify the behavioral repertoire lizards use while feeding. Feeding bouts were videotaped in a phylogenetically diverse sample of lizard taxa and behavioral categories were delineated. Five distinct types of prey processing behavior were described (transport, inertial transport, side-to side movement, puncture crushing, and “palatal crushing”). All taxa engaged in prey transport behaviors. However, the frequencies of the five behaviors differed between scleroglossan and autarchoglossan lizards. Per feeding bout, autarchoglossans consistently engaged in more puncture crushing, transport, and total number of feeding behaviors. Also, autarchoglossans showed an increased tendency to intersperse behaviors during a feeding bout. Interestingly, all lizards exhibited a previously undescribed behavior that we are calling “palatal crushing”. Here, the prey item was held and compressed between the dorsal surface of the tongue and the hard palate. Several hypotheses will be put forth to explain this behavior as well as the behavioral variation observed between scleroglossan and autarchoglossan lizards.