Punzo F
Department of Biology, Box 5F, University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida 33606, USA.
J Environ Biol. 2003 Jan;24(1):23-7.
The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of early feeding experiences on subsequent responses to prey in the tegu, Tupinambis teguixin. Five-day old lizards were exposed to the odors of various prey and control substances on cotton-tipped applicators with the tongue-flick attack score (TFAS) chosen as the dependent variable. Each lizard was exposed to four stimuli: two controls (deionised water and cologne), and extracts from a mouse Mus musculus, and a lizard Ameiva ameiva, in a repeated measures, randomized block design, receiving one stimulus training session / day over a 40-day period. Tongue-flicks directed toward the applicator were counted over a 1 min period as well as the amount of time that elapsed from the first tongue flick to any bite that may have occurred. Live neonatal mice (but not A. ameiva), offered on a weekly basis, were used as a food source for tegus over a 10-month period. After 10 months, tegus were exposed to applicators containing control odors as well as those containing extracts from mice and lizards (A. ameiva). Mouse extracts elicited significantly higher TFAS as compared to those elicited by A. ameiva or control odors, suggesting that prey odors encountered in the environment shortly after hatching can influence prey preferences by these lizards later in life. These results also indicate that tegu lizards can learn to use specific odor cues associated with naturally occurring prey as releasers for subsequent hunting behaviors.
本研究的目的是评估早期进食经历对阿根廷黑白泰加蜥（Tupinambis teguixin）后续捕食反应的影响。选用5日龄的蜥蜴，将棉棒蘸取的各种猎物和对照物质的气味作为刺激源，以舔舌攻击评分（TFAS）作为因变量。在重复测量随机区组设计中，每只蜥蜴接受四种刺激：两种对照（去离子水和古龙水），以及小家鼠（Mus musculus）和双线侧褶蜥（Ameiva ameiva）的提取物，在40天的时间里每天接受一次刺激训练。在1分钟内计数指向棉棒的舔舌次数，以及从第一次舔舌到可能发生的任何咬噬所经过的时间。在10个月的时间里，每周提供活的新生小鼠（而非双线侧褶蜥）作为泰加蜥的食物来源。10个月后，让泰加蜥接触含有对照气味以及含有小鼠和双线侧褶蜥提取物的棉棒。与双线侧褶蜥或对照气味引发的舔舌攻击评分相比，小鼠提取物引发的舔舌攻击评分显著更高，这表明孵化后不久在环境中遇到的猎物气味会影响这些蜥蜴日后的猎物偏好。这些结果还表明，泰加蜥能够学会利用与天然猎物相关的特定气味线索作为后续捕猎行为的释放信号。
