NO- 3305 ANOLIS LINEATOPUS — RAND 69 



becomes less tolerant and begins to chase the young lizard, not only 

 from her preferred perch but in other parts of the home range. Second, 

 the young lizard begins to become aggressive towards the adult and 

 to display back and attempt to chase her. This is probably a gradual 

 change but eventually the young lizard must either defeat the adult 

 and chase her away or— much more likely since the young one is as 

 yet smaller than the adult — be defeated and move. This change 

 seems to occur as the young females are approaching sexual maturity 

 but while the young m.ales are still immature. As either sex ap- 

 proaches adult female size, they begin to attract the attention of the 

 adult male, no longer as food but now as potential mates, and he 

 begins courtship chasing. For the maturing females this probably 

 has no effect on their home range, but for the young males this may 

 be a factor in forcing them to move. 



When an^. lineatopus of tliis size moves, it may travel considerable 

 distances, at least 50 to 80 feet and probably more. During this time 

 it must continually come into conflict with other ^4. lineatopus of about 

 its size, and probably it is chased repeatedly from the suitable activity 

 ranges that it visits. These A. lineatopus sometimes settle in places 

 that are unoccupied because they are subpreferable, and we find 

 young males living in unusual activity ranges, up in trees, on very 

 small isolated perches, etc. 



Because there is a continual mortality among the adults, however, 

 desirable activity ranges are always becoming vacant. If a young 

 male ^. lineatopus is fortunate enough for this to happen to the female 

 whose home range overlaps his own, then he may not be forced to 

 move at all. But probably and more frequently, he must travel and 

 perhaps visit a number of suitable sites before he finds one from which 

 he either can oust the resident or which he can occupy unchallenged. 

 Probably another frequent occurrence is for a lizard to move into an 

 area that lies on the boundaries of two residents and establish himself 

 in an activity range that includes part of two other activity ranges. 

 Such a course involves defeating both residents but only in parts of 

 their activity range that they do not use frequently and, consequently, 

 do not defend as vigorously as they would their preferred perches. 



For an adult female, this is probably her last move. If her new 

 activity range overlaps that of an adult male and contains the req- 

 uisites in food, temperature, and cover, she probably wall remain 

 there the rest of her life, mating with the male, perhaps leaving the 

 area to lay her eggs if no suitable laying site is immediately available, 

 perhaps shifting the boundaries or moving either temporarily or 

 permanently to an adjacent area, but making no further major moves. 

 She will defend the area against intruders of her own size, at first 



