IMPORTANCE OF ANDROGENS IN MALE TERRITORIAL ACQUISITION IN THE LIZARDANOLIS-SAGREI - AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST

The importance of androgens in the ability of male lizards to acquire a territory was tested by determining whether male brown anoles, Anoli s sagrei, treated with the anti-androgen, cyproterone acetate (CA), we re less successful in acquiring a 'high-quality' habitat patch in an o utside enclosure than placebo-treated males of similar size. The habit at patch had a tree for perching, ornamental plants and twigs for refu ge, and three females for mating partners. Reproductively active males were treated for 21 days with either CA (0.1 mg/day) or placebo, both delivered from subcutaneously placed pellets. On day 21, a CA-treated male and a placebo-treated male were placed into the enclosure (6.0 m (2)). Two hours later, the behaviour and location of the males were mo nitored for a 30-min period. In tests of 20 pairs, significantly fewer CA-treated males headbob displayed to their male pair-mate, showed th e static display modifier of crest erection, and courted females than placebo-treated males. In addition, CA-treated males spent significant ly less time in the high-quality habitat patch and less time perched o n the tree than did placebo-treated males; they also had significantly less time of exclusive use of these areas. Males treated with CA also perched lower in the habitat than did placebo-treated males. These re sults suggest that androgens may play an important role in the ability of male A. sagrei and perhaps other lizards to acquire a territory.