Rock, Paper, Scissors, Run!! Round Tailed Horned Lizard
Have you ever been in an awkward situation where you just want to disappear?
For the round tailed horned lizard, Phrynosoma modestum, sometimes they have to do just that. One of their main methods of defense is crypsis or being very still so they can camouflage in their environment due to their size, color, pattern, and shape.
Essentially they become a rock
However, just as you will #FindThatLizard below, so do predators so the P. modestum has to evaluate a variety of factors to know when to run. Some things they may have to determine are:
Are they on pebbles or a microhabitat that doesn’t support crypsis?
How far away is the predator?
Were they moving when they noticed the predator?
Were they standing or laying down?
These are just a few of the variables that Cooper and Sherbrooke studied in their 2010 paper. Flight initiation distance is how far a predator is when the prey decides to run away. They found that when lizards were on loose sand, they were more likely to run away when the predator was further away. So when they were on pebbles the predators could get closer before they ran. P. modestum does not camouflage as well on the loose sand so it is likely a predator would see them sooner than if they were on pebbles.
Can you #FindThatLizard?
