314 
AufFenberg 
Table 8. Percent of spacial displacement per 
interacting monitor pairs (n = 167). 
Sex Displaced 
Sex Not Displaced 
Males 
Females 
Males 
29(40) 
18(27) 
Females 
23(27) 
30(33) 
overtly threatened. 
Threat was 
normally 
communicated at 
fairly close 
distances 
(X=2.2 m). 
Displacements were highly reliable indi- 
cators of rank. There were no alterations of 
dominance in at least the resident monitors 
during the entire study period. However, 
the hierarchial structure around carrion 
changed constantly as new individuals en- 
tered the area and earlier arriving individ- 
uals left (Table 9). 
Appeasement displays were never per- 
formed by large individuals (dominant or 
not). Such displays were performed by ani- 
mals 1 to 1.5 m in length. Appeasement be- 
havior occurred most commonly as a display- 
ing individual approached carrion around 
which other individuals had already gathered. 
It frequently occurred at distances of 3 to 
10 m (Table 10) as the displayer moved back 
and forth beyond the attack range of larger 
individuals. That the displaying animals were 
under stress is suggested by the fact 
they were easily frightened by nonagonistic 
movements of the monitors nearby, by the 
human observers, by boughs moving with 
the wind, or even by leaves blowing across 
the ground. When disturbed, these individ- 
uals dashed headlong into the surrounding 
underbrush. Displacements of low-ranking 
individuals around carrion always occurred 
when high-ranking individuals moved (Fig. 
9). 
Within the hierarchy established at car- 
rion sites, agonistic behavior was more com- 
monly seen in monitors of lower rank and 
smaller size. Agonistic behavior was least 
often demonstrated by the dominant resi- 
dents (Table 11). Aggressive display was no 
indication of social rank, since high-ranking 
Table 9. Percent displacement of transient and 
resident V. komodoensis at carrion during any 
interactions in which a displacement occurred 
(n = 103). 
Displaced Size Classes Displacements in 
(in m) Residents Transients 
1.1-1.5 
72 
98 
1.6-2.0 
13 
71 
2.1-2.5 
7 
32 
2.6-3.0 
2 
10 
Table 10. Distance over 
plays are presented 
komodensis. 
which appeasement 
by small to large 
dis- 
V. 
Display 
Distance 
(Approx., 
in m) 
Frequency per monitor Size Class (in m) 
1.1-1.5 
1.6-2.0 2.1-2.5 2.6-3.0 Total 
1.0-1.9 
8 
8 
6 3 
25 
2.0-2.9 
15 
11 
9 1 
36 
3.0-3.9 
38 
18 
15 0 
71 
4.0 -1- 
16 
3 
0 0 
19 
Totals 
77 
40 
30 4 
151 
Table 11. Frequency of agonistic behavior demon- 
strated by resident (=R) and transient (=T) 
monitors. 
Size Classes 
(in m) 
Status 
Number of 
Agonistic Displays 
(n=355) 
R 
40 
1. 1-1.5 
T 
103 
1.6-2.0 
R 
32 
T 
69 
2.1-2.5 
R 
26 
T 
47 
2.6-3.0 
R 
13 
T 
25 
monitors at feeding sites generally ignored 
those of lower rank. However, the reverse 
was not true ; appeasement display was often 
directed toward animals of higher rank. This 
display was more reliable in determining 
social hierarchy than any other. 
