During the spring, adult sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) form monogamo
us pairs that remain closely associated for extensive periods over an
interval of 6-8 wk. After natural separations of hours to days, pairs
reform. This paper describes observations of natural pairs, and of nat
ural and experimental separation in the field. Sleepy lizards appear t
o use three mechanisms to relocate their partners. They either follow
trails, use airborne signals, or search familiar sites. It is usually
the male that seeks to relocate the female, but in several cases, fema
les were observed to relocate their male partners.