Display Repertoire Analysis of Anolis townsendi (Sauria: Iguanidae) from Cocos Island

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Abstract
Male A. townsendi have a large agonistic social display repertoire of 4 display types (displays A-D). The type A display appeared analogous in function to the signature display of other anoles. All 4 display patterns were performed during male-male territorial encounters, with types C and D being rarely observed. The 2 most commonly performed display types (A and B displays) were quantitatively analyzed. Both display patterns had a unique feature of being composed of a series of 4 complex motor patterns (acts) which appeared in a fixed sequence. Though these acts were relatively stereotyped, the number of acts performed during a display was variable. One way analysis of variance components indicated that 97% of the variability of display duration for both A and B displays was attributed to intraindividual variation and only 3% of the temporal variability was ascribed to interindividual variation; this shows that all sampled lizards could vary the durations of their displays to a similar extent. The way in which display types B-D diverged from the basic signature display (A display) was strinkingly similar to the situation found in A. limifrons, a species which has a large display repertoire.

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