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Female-female aggression in the Gila monster ( Heloderma suspectum )

Royal Society open science, 2023-05, Vol.10 (5), p.221466-221466 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

2023 The Authors. ;2023 The Authors. 2023 ;ISSN: 2054-5703 ;EISSN: 2054-5703 ;DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221466 ;PMID: 37181791

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  • Title:
    Female-female aggression in the Gila monster ( Heloderma suspectum )
  • Author: Schuett, Gordon W ; Peterson, Karl H ; Powell, Anthony R ; Taylor, John D ; Alexander, Jennifer R ; Lappin, A Kristopher
  • Subjects: bite force ; ethogram ; fighting ; Helodermatidae ; lizard ; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology ; venom
  • Is Part Of: Royal Society open science, 2023-05, Vol.10 (5), p.221466-221466
  • Description: Historically, the role of aggression in the social lives of animals overwhelmingly focused on males. In recent years, however, female-female aggression in vertebrates, particularly lizards, has received increasing attention. This growing body of literature shows both similarities and differences to aggressive behaviours between males. Here, we document female-female aggression in captive Gila monsters ( ). Based on four unique dyadic trials (eight adult female subjects), we developed a qualitative ethogram. Unexpected and most intriguing were the prevalence and intensity of aggressive acts that included brief and sustained biting, envenomation, and lateral rotation (i.e. rolling of body while holding onto opponent with closed jaws). Given specific behavioural acts (i.e. biting) and the results of bite-force experiments, we postulate that osteoderms (bony deposits in the skin) offer some degree of protection and reduce the likelihood of serious injury during female-female fights. Male-male contests in in contrast, are more ritualized, and biting is rarely reported. Female-female aggression in other lizards has a role in territoriality, courtship tactics, and nest and offspring guarding. Future behavioural research on aggression in female Gila monsters is warranted to test these and other hypotheses in the laboratory and field.
  • Publisher: England: The Royal Society
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 2054-5703
    EISSN: 2054-5703
    DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221466
    PMID: 37181791
  • Source: PubMed Central
    ROAD: Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources
    DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals
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