Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-65). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-87). Also available via the Internet.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (University of Texas Digital Repository, viewed on Sept. 16, 2009). Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Anolis carolinensis was found to have three stereotyped and distinct territorial headbob patterns, referred to as Types A, B, and C. Each type had two variants, one in which the dewlap appeared mid-display and a second in which dewlap extension was absent. Use of these signals was examined in two contexts: a "male-alone” or advertisement context and a "male-male" or aggressive context. Context accounted for only minor amounts of the variability while display type explained the majority of unit variability. Display rate in advertisement was 0.3 displays/ min, half the displays were solitary, and half occurred in volleys of 2-6 displays. Dewlap extension accompanied 97% of the displays, and all three types of displays were used. Display rate was eightfold greater in male-male context, and the rate doubled again as males came within 20 cm of each other. At large separation distances (>60 cm), long volleys (4-9 displays) were common, Type C displays predominated, and dewlap extension accompanied 92% of the displays. At smaller separation distances (<20 cm), single displays predominated, volleys had fewer displays, displays were more evenly divided among the three types, and 93% of the displays had no dewlap extension. / Master of Science

The behavior and spatial relationships of 7 male and 22 females were described from 56 days of observation from focal and scan samples made between 0830 and 1830 h during May-July, 1993 at the Augusta Canal near Augusta, Georgia. Behavioral observations indicated that females primarily remain stationary (82.6%), while dividing the remainder of their time into travelling (7.7%), overt foraging (1.5%), and social interactions (8.2%). Though territorial, inter-female contacts were rare (0.3%) with more of a female’s time spent interacting with the resident male (3.2%) or in copula (3.9%). Females used three methods to capture prey: (1) sit-and-wait (84%), (2) opportunistic prey captures (11%), and (3) active search (5%). Dewlap extension is primarily used during aggressive interactions with females (60%), but rarely during courtship (2%) or copula (7%). Predation pressure was minimal as only four predator avoidances were observed. Home range volume and area for males averaged 68.5 m³ and 50.5 m², respectively. For females, home range volume and area were considerable smaller than males, averaging 7.8 m³ and 8.2 m², respectively. Intra-sexual overlap averaged 0% for males and 18% for females. Male snout-vent length (SVL) was positively correlated with male home range area and number of females overlapped. Female SVL did not correlate with either volume or area of territory. However, within a male’s territory, the largest female usually controlled the largest home range volume, perched highest, and maintained a green body color most often. Females tended to perch on smaller diameter limbs and to perch higher than males. / Master of Science

Social experience can modify the behavior of adult animals, and this type of behavioral plasticity associated with territorial aggression has been observed in several species including green anole lizards. Previously dominant animals were more aggressive to a novel stimulus in a new context than previously subordinate animals after 10 days of agonistic interaction. This behavioral shift could be beneficial to an animal by increasing survival and/or reproductive success to maximize its fitness. Behavioral modification through social experience can involve alteration in some physiological properties such as variations in hormone titer and hormone receptors. Steroid hormones such as testosterone (T) and corticosterone (Cort) and neurotrasmitters such as arginine vasotocin (AVT) are well known for their association with territorial aggression. Hormonal mechanisms underlying the control of this behavior are, however, context dependent, temporally dynamic, and evolutionarily very diverse. I performed experiments aimed at gaining insights into the proximate mechanisms underlying status-dependent behavioral differences in territorial aggression. First, steroid binding globulins of green anole lizards were analyzed and the presence of androgen-glucocorticoid binding globulins and sex-hormone binding globulins (SHBG) was established. Next, status differences in steroid hormone levels and the temporal pattern of hormone changes were assessed. We found that winners/dominants had elevated total T levels shortly after the onset of fighting and reduced SHBG after 10 days of agonistic interaction. These changes seemed to cause sustained increases in free T levels in winners/dominants throughout 10 days of agonistic interactions. Then, androgen receptor (AR) mRNA density levels were compared in dominant and subordinate animals. The result showed that the preoptic area (POA) and anterior hypothalamus AR mRNA density levels were higher in dominants than subordinates shortly after the agonistic interaction. Lastly, AVT immunoreactive cell counts were compared in dominant and subordinate animals. We found that subordinate animals had reduced AVT immunoreactive cell counts in the POA compared to that of dominants or control males. Findings from this dissertation suggest possible mechanisms that might be responsible for status dependent behavioral differences in territorial aggression: elevation in T and reduction in SHBG capacity, and sustained elevation of AVT immunoreactive cell counts in the POA. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 10, 2009). Thesis advisor: Arthur C. Echternacht. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.