Lizard preying

Cooper W.E. Jr. (1997). Correlated evolution of prey chemical discrimination with foraging, lingual morphology and vomeronasal chemoreceptor abundance in lizards. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 41, 257-265. 

Cooper, W. E. (1995) Foraging mode, prey chemical discrimination, and phylogeny in lizards. Anim. Behav. 50, 973-985. 

De Pemo, C. S. and Cooper, W. E. (1993) Prey chemical discrimination and strike-induced chemosensory searching in the lizard Liolaemus zapallarensis. Chemoecology 4, 86-92. 

Labra, A. (2007) The peculiar case of an insectivorous iguanid lizard that detects chemical cues from prey. Chemoecology 17, in press. 

A detailed predator-prey analysis of the chemical relations between the carabid Pasimachus subsulcatus and the skink Eumeces inexpectus proved that the latter were repelled by constituents of the carabids secretions, indicating that the beetles are chemically protected from attacks by the lizards [85]. 

Olfaction is not necessary in other lizard species. For instance, the ground-skink, Scincella lateralis, which feeds on insects in the ground litter, does not require chemical cues to attack prey (Nicoletto, 1985). Presumahly, vision alone suffices for this purpose. 

Lizards that prey on snakes hut are also eaten hy larger snakes discriminate skin chemicals of snakes very well. Monitor lizards, Varanus albigularis, fall in this group. Hatchling monitors attacked harmless snakes but avoided venomous species. However, they accepted meat of all snakes if carefully skinned. The hatchlings tongue flicked to invertebrate prey covered with skin from venomous snakes and rejected these samples (Phillips and Alberts, 1992). 

Chemical release of prey attack extension to naive newly hatched lizards. Jottmfll of Herpetology 15,77-81. 

Monitor lizards grow replacement teeth in the gaps between their mature teeth. They have at least 29 vertebrae above their hips. Nine of these are neck vertebrae, supporting the unusually long neck of these lizards. Their powerful jaws are hinged in the middle, allowing them to swallow large prey. The head of monitors is tapered, and there are distinct ear holes. 

Monitors, like all lizards, are poikilothermic or coldblooded. They are most energetic after they have been heated by the morning sun, since their muscles work much more efficiently and easily when they are warm. Monitors can run quickly to chase down prey. When doing so they lift their body and tail clear off the ground. 

This scorpion is considered to be the most venomous species of scorpion in Africa. Even though this species has small pinchers, their main means of defense is spraying venom on prey and enemies. In the wild the Black Spitter feeds on lizards and small insects. 

Even 12 years after the oil spill, sand lizards (Acanthodactylus scutellatus) and their prey (ants) in oil-polluted sites contained 26.5-301 and 6.2-82.1 ng g" of total PAHs, respectively [63]. These results point to persistence of significant threats to wildlife in oil-polluted areas. 

Al-Hashem MA, Brain PF, Omar SA (2007) Effects of oil pollution at Kuwait s greater Al-Burgan oil field on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in the tissues of desert lizards Acanthodactylus scutellatus and their ant prey. Ecotoxicology 16 551-555... 

Andren 1982). The vomeronasal organ is also essential for detecting prey, at least in squamates. Impairment of the vomeronasal system, but not the olfactory system, renders garter snakes (Thamnophis) unable to recognize earthworms as a food source (Halpem Frumin 1979). This is also the case in lizards (Graves Halpem 1989, 1990 Cooper Alberts 1991). 

The children who live in my neighborhood (including my own kids) have a unique way of catching lizards. Armed with cups of ice water, they chase one of these cold-blooded reptiles into a comer, and then take aim and pour the cold water directly onto the lizard s body. The lizard s body temperature drops and it becomes virtually immobilized—easy prey for little hands. The kids scoop up the lizard and place it in a tub filled with sand and leaves. They then watch as the lizard warms back up and becomes active again. They usually release the lizard back into the yard within hours. I guess you could call them catch-and-release lizard hunters. 

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