Speeds and Movement Patterns of European Lacertid Lizards: A Comparative Study

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Abstract
Four species of lacertid lizards (Podarcis muralis, P. pityusensis, Lacerta viridis, and L. trilineata) moving in laboratory arenas alternated bursts of locomotion with short (< 1 s) pauses. Variables relating to this movement are compared under two conditions, defined as ''standard'' and ''fleeing'', with values previously recorded for Lacerta vivipara. Mean speeds of the five species (U, in cm s-1) increased with increasing body mass (M, in g) as U = 15.1 M0.17. When expressed in body lengths per second, however, mean speeds decreased with increasing body mass. The ratio of ''fleeing'' to ''standard'' speed was lower in adult L. vivipara than in adults of P. muralis, P. pityusensis, and L. trilineata and was lower in juvenile L. vivipara than in juvenile L. viridis; possible reasons for these differences are discussed. The incidence and duration of pauses in the five species decreased with increasing body mass.