Metabolic Response to Visual Contact with Predator and Prey in the Green Anole (anolis carolinensis)

Abstract

A lizard that sees a predator sometimes becomes immobile to avoid detection, but it is unclear how the energy demands of this strategy compare to those of a calm lizard. I quantified the metabolic response of adult male Anolis carolinensis when in visual contact with a predator and with prey. Lizards’ oxygen consumption when seeing prey was not significantly different from baseline oxygen consumption levels (P = 0.416), but lizards reduced oxygen consumption when seeing a predator (P < 0.001). Lizards made fewer body movements and changes of gaze when seeing a predator than when seeing prey, consistent with the antipredator strategy of reducing movement to minimize the likelihood of drawing a predator’s attention.