Resource manipulation reveals interactive phenotype-dependent foraging in free-ranging lizards.

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Ecology
• Evolutionary biology

Background:

• Individual variation in foraging tactics is linked to behavioral types (BTs).
• Few studies examine BT effects across multiple foraging stages in natural settings.
• Sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) exhibit consistent boldness and aggressiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate how boldness and aggressiveness interact to influence foraging processes in wild sleepy lizards.
• Determine if BTs affect search and handling components of foraging.
• Understand the implications of BT-dependent foraging for individual fitness and population dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Supplemented 123 food patches with varying food abundance (high, low, control).
• Quantified feeding behavior using camera traps and tracked lizard movements with GPS.
• Assayed individual boldness and aggressiveness repeatedly.

Main Results:

• An interactive effect of boldness and aggressiveness on foraging performance was observed.
• Bold and aggressive lizards consumed the most food items.
• Aggressive lizards visited patches less regularly and showed less patch quality discrimination.
• Bolder lizards visited patches more regularly and consumed a higher proportion of available food.

Conclusions:

• Behavioral types interact to influence distinct search and handling aspects of foraging.
• BTs contribute to within-population variation in foraging success.
• Individual differences in foraging, influenced by BTs, can shape fitness strategies and population dynamics.