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Fit and fat from enlarged badges: a field experiment on male sand lizards
Sofia Anderholm1, Mats Olsson, Erik Wapstra
1Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, Box 405, SE 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Abstract:
To investigate the impact of nuptial coloration (the badge) on male fitness in the Swedish sand lizard (Lacerta agilis), we conducted a manipulation experiment in a natural population. Males in one group had their badges enlarged by being painted as cheaters and were compared to a control group with respect to mate acquisition, body condition and survival. Badge enlargement did not affect survival, but elevated mate acquisition by almost 400%, and body condition in small males. This increase in condition is likely to stem from greater access to female-associated sites with high food availability.
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