DeNardo D F, Sinervo B
Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
Horm Behav. 1994 Mar;28(1):53-65. doi: 10.1006/hbeh.1994.1005.
The purpose of our study was to examine whether corticosterone (B) affects the spacing behavior of free-ranging male side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana). Furthermore, we wanted to determine if the density, reflected in seasonal changes in population size, or behavior, as a result of hormonal manipulation, of "neighboring" males influences these effects. Field studies were conducted on four naturally isolated "neighborhoods" of lizards. Half of the males on three of the sites were randomly implanted with either saline or B, while on the fourth site all males were implanted with B. Pre- and postimplant home-ranges and activity levels were determined. Home-range size and activity level were significantly reduced by corticosterone if normally aggressive saline-implanted males were also present in the neighborhood. However, B had no effect on home-range if all males in the neighborhood were implanted with B. Space lost by B-implanted males was incorporated into the home-ranges of saline-implanted males so that the sum of all the male home-ranges in a neighborhood remained unchanged after implantation. These results suggest that elevated B levels put male lizards at a competitive disadvantage and, therefore, force these lizards to reduce their home-range.
我们研究的目的是检验皮质酮（B）是否会影响自由放养的雄性侧斑蜥蜴（强棱蜥）的空间行为。此外，我们想确定，反映在种群数量季节性变化中的密度，或因激素操纵而导致的“相邻”雄性的行为，是否会影响这些效应。我们对四个自然隔离的蜥蜴“群落”进行了实地研究。在其中三个地点，一半的雄性蜥蜴被随机植入生理盐水或B，而在第四个地点，所有雄性蜥蜴都被植入B。测定了植入前后的活动范围和活动水平。如果附近也有通常具有攻击性的植入生理盐水的雄性蜥蜴，皮质酮会显著减小活动范围大小和降低活动水平。然而，如果群落中的所有雄性蜥蜴都被植入B，B对活动范围则没有影响。植入B的雄性蜥蜴失去的空间被纳入到植入生理盐水的雄性蜥蜴的活动范围内，因此，植入后群落中所有雄性蜥蜴的活动范围总和保持不变。这些结果表明，较高的B水平会使雄性蜥蜴处于竞争劣势，因此，迫使这些蜥蜴缩小其活动范围。
