Article Citation (in proper CSE format):
Ito Ryo, Mori Akira. 2010. Vigilance against predators induced by eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm calls in a non-vocal lizard Oplurus cuvieri cuvieri (Reptilia: Iguania). Proc R Soc B. 277(1685):1275–1280.
Critique: This study was conducted to determine the particular relationship between the Madagascan spiny-tailed iguanas (Oplurus cuvieri cuvieri) and the Madagascar paradise flycatcher (Tepsiphone mutate). Scientists wanted to observe an ecological connection and examine Madagascan spiny-tailed iguana’s responses to the presence of paradise flycatcher alarm calls. They also wanted to investigate whether these iguanas were able to differentiate between the song and alarm calls of the Tepsiphone
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The reference provided is based on observations of chemicals cue responses with the Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis. Scientists wanted to test the Desert Iguana to see how it responded to snakes through chemoreception and if they were capable of differentiating between threating and non-threatening snakes. Through chemoreception Desert Iguanas are able to make the right tactical decisions to avoid predation like how the Madagascan spiny-tailed iguanas uses eavesdropping to avoid predation. According to the article, another way this relates to the assigned study was the use of chemoreception within the clade Iguania, a clade that includes many taxa that use this technique of detection. This clade also includes the Madagascan spiny-tailed iguanas (Oplurus cuvieri cuvieri). At the time of this experiment only one study was conducted to look at chemoreception within the clade Iguania. It involved the mountain spiny lizard, Sceloporus jarrovi, a lizard that is a taxa within the clade Iguania. There was no significant results in the study mentioned in the reference. The results of the reference showed that an iguanian lizard can identify chemicals from sympatric lizard eating snakes and interpret whether their dangerous or not.
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