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. 2007 Dec 22;3(6):632-4.
doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2007.0443.

Heterospecific alarm call recognition in a non-vocal reptile

Maren N Vitousek  1 , James S Adelman, Nathan C Gregory, James J H St Clair
Affiliations

Heterospecific alarm call recognition in a non-vocal reptile

Maren N Vitousek et al. Biol Lett. .

Abstract

The ability to recognize and respond to the alarm calls of heterospecifics has previously been described only in species with vocal communication. Here we provide evidence that a non-vocal reptile, the Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), can eavesdrop on the alarm call of the Galápagos mockingbird (Nesomimus parvulus) and respond with anti-predator behaviour. Eavesdropping on complex heterospecific communications demonstrates a remarkable degree of auditory discrimination in a non-vocal species.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study sites on Santa Fe, Galápagos. The typical hunting flight trajectory of the hawk pair inhabiting this region is marked with an arrow.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Marine iguanas differentiate between mockingbird alarm call and song. At each site, a higher proportion of marine iguanas exhibit anti-predator behaviour (alert or escape) during playback of mockingbird alarm call than during mockingbird song. Error bars represent one standard error of measurement.
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