Indirect Communications and Its Role in the Formation of Social Structure in Varanus griseus (Sauria)

Alexey Yu. Tsellarius, Yuri G. Men’shikov

Abstract


Desert monitors are able to distinguish sex and age of conspecifics by their traces. Probably identification of individuals by tracks is possible also. All individuals make special scent marks regularly. Old monitors and those living for a long time in the particular region mark less intensively than young animals and new settlers. Spatial structure of the population is a mosaic of alternating areas with low density of tracks and areas with high density. The latters were named settlements. The area occupied by a settlement is 2 – 4 km2. The permanent information interaction with the neighbours is maintained mostly not by means of direct contacts, but is indirect through traces and signal markings. In the contacts of settled monitors of one settlement the level of aggressiveness is lower than in the contacts of settled animals with strangers. Marking in monitors is probably of double significance. On the one hand it is indirect self-presentation permitting a painless inclusion of the newcomers into the society, on the other hand intensive marking by settlers establishes a signal field specific for the particular settlement, which makes it difficult for strange individuals to take root, and therefore stabilizes the social situation.

Keywords


Reptilia; Varanidae; social structure; communication

Full Text:

PDF

References


Auffenberg W. (1978), «Social and feeding behaviour in Varanus komodensis,» in: Behaviour and Neurology of Lizards, Natnl. Inst. Mental Health, USA, pp. 301 – 331.

Auffenberg W. (1979), «Intersexual differences in behaviour of captive Varanus bengalensis,» J. Herpetol., 13(3), 313 – 315.

Auffenberg W. (1981), «The behavioral ecology of the Komodo monitor,» in: University Florida Book, Gainesville, USA.

Auffenberg W. (1983), «The burrows of Varanus bengalensis: characteristics and use,» Rec. Zool. Survey India, 80(3 – 4), 375 – 385.

Baig K. J. and Böhme W. (1991), «Callous scalation in female agamid lizards (Stellio group of Agama) and its functional implications,» Bonn. Zool. Beitr., 42(3 – 4), 275 – 281.

Bondarenko D. A. (1989), «Distribution and population density of the desert monitor in Karshinskaya Steppe,» Byull. MOIP Otd. Biol., 94(3), 24 – 32 [in Russian].

Brushko Z. K., Sklyarenko S. L., and Matveeva T. N. (1990), «The desert monitor,» in: Rare Animals of Deserts, Alma-Ata, pp. 208 – 217 [in Russian].

Burdelov A. S. (1974), «On the question of intrapopulation relations in some Gerbillid species,» in: Proc. VIII Sci. Conf. Antichem. Depts. Mid. Azia Kazakhst., Alma-Ata, pp. 230 – 231 [in Russian].

Burghardt G. M. (1970), «Chemical perception in reptiles,» in: Advances in Chemoreception, Vol. 1, Appleton – Century – Crofts, New York, pp. 241 – 308.

Carter D. B. (1990), «Courtship and mating in wild Varanus varius,» Mem. Queensland Mus., 1(2), 333 – 338.

Cooper W. E. (1989), «Prey odor discrimination in the varanoid lizards Heloderma suspectum and Varanus exanthematicus,» Ethology, 81(3), 250 – 258.

Cooper W. E. Jr. and Trauth S. E. (1992), «Discrimination of conspecific male and female cloacal chemical stimuli by males and possession of a probable pheromone gland by females in a Cordylid lizards, Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus,» Herpetologica, 48(2), 229 – 236.

Gaulke M. (1989), «Zur Biologie des Bindenwaranes, unter Berucksichtigung der palaogeographischen Verbeitung und der phylogenetischen Eutwicklung der Varanidae,» Courier Forschungsinst. Senckenb., 112, 1 – 242.

Green B. and King D. (1993), Goanna. The Biology of Varanid Lizards, New South University Press.

Honegger R. E. (1978), «Geschlechtsbestimmung bei Reptilien,» Salamandra, 14(2), 69 – 79.

Kleiman D. (1966), «Scent marking in the Canidae,» in: Play, Exploration and Territory in Mammals (Symp. Zool. Soc. London, 18), Acad. Press, London – New York, pp. 167 – 177.

Makeev V. M. (1979), «Abundance and biomass of reptiles in the South-Eastern Karakum,» Zool. Zh., 58(1), 133 – 136 [in Russian].

Naumov N. P. (1973), «Signal (biological) fields and their importance for animals,» Zh. Obshch. Biol., 34(6), 808 – 817 [in Russian].

Ovsyanikov N. G. and Badridze Ya. K. (1989), «The notion of psychological comfort in interpretation of motive powers of behaviour,» Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR, 306(4), 1015 – 1018 [in Russian].

Pazhetnov V. S. (1979), «Signal marks in behaviour of brown bears (Ursus arctos),» Zool. Zh., 58(10), 1536 – 1542 [in Russian].

Pazhetnov V. S. (1990), «Territroriality in brown bears and factors determining it,» Byull. MOIP Otd. Biol., 95(2), 3 – 11 [in Russian].

Pikunov D. G. and Korkishko V. G. (1992), The Leopard of the Far East, Nauka, Moscow [in Russian].

Polynova G. V. (1983), «Spatial relations in populations of desert lizards,» in: The Behaviour of Animals in Associations, Nauka, Moscow, pp. 149 – 151 [in Russian].

Priklonsky S. G. (1973), «Winter route census of game,» in: Methods of Census of Game Animals in Forest Regions, Proceedings of the Okskii State Reserve, Issue 9, Ryazan’, pp. 35 – 62 [in Russian].

Raevsky V. V. (1947), Life of Kondo-Sos’vin Sable, Izd. Glav. Upravl. Zapoved., Moscow [in Russian].

Tarasov P. P. (1959), «Intraspecific relations of sable and weasel,» Byull. MOIP Otd. Biol., 64(6), 37 – 43 [in Russian].

Timofeev V. K. (1948), «Ecology of Barguzin sable,» in: Proceedings of the Barguzin State Reserve, Moscow, pp. 3 – 101 [in Russian].

Tsellarius A. Yu. (1994), «Behaviour and mode of life of the monitor in sand desert,» Priroda, No. 5, 26 – 35 [in Russian].

Tsellarius A. Yu. and Cherlin V. A. (1991), «Individual identification and new method of marking of Varanus griseus in field condition,» in: Herpetological Researches, Izd. LISS, Leningrad, pp. 104 – 118 [in Russian].

Tsellarius A. Yu., Cherlin V. A., and Men’shikov Yu. G. (1991), «Preliminary report on the study of biology of Varanus griseus in Middle Asia,» in: Herpetological Researches, Izd. LISS, Leningrad, pp. 61 – 103 [in Russian].

Tsellarius A. Yu. and Men’shikov Yu. G. (1994), «The structure of nesting holes and protection of the clutch by females of Varanus griseus,» Zool. Zh., 73, (in press) [in Russian].

Vernet R. (1976), «Etude ecologique de Varanus griseus,» Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 101(5), 1018 – 1019.

Yudakov A. G. and Nikolaev I. G. (1987), Ecology of the Amur Tiger, Nauka, Moscow [in Russian].




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-1994-1-2-121-132

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


You can subscribe to the print or electronic version of the journal on the site of EastView Company. If you have any questions, please write to the email sales@ivis.ru