![]() Female lizards are so adept at reading the chemical signature that they were able to detect the quality of a male such as size, health, diet and even its access to thermal resources. Amazingly females can pick up on, and subsequently favour, the quality of a male from the scent of the secretion. Mayerl et al (2015) reviewed studies on what a female lizards can detect from the chemical signature of the secretions. The femoral secretions tell a story about the lizard revealing secrets such as species, age, sex, health and more (Baeckens et al, 2015).įemale lizards can pick up on what the secretions reveal and assess how good a mate he will be. Secretions Reveal Secrets to Other Lizards The make up of the secretion also changes during breeding season. During breeding season the glands secrete more and increase in size however the pore size stays the same (Mayerl et al, 2015). For example, Regnier and Goodwin (cited in Baeckens, 2015) found that clay surfaces were slower to lose the scent than wood. ![]() The duration of the scent markings depends on the substrate it is left on. The femoral secretion left on the ground was not obvious enough to see by eye however, the reactions of other males indicated they could very much detect the previous males scent (Chamut, 2009). In studies on Tegu’s they were observed rubbing their thighs and cloacal region on the ground. Small pieces of the femoral secretion plug fall off onto the substrate leaving a chemical signature. The waxy secretion is smeared on substrate and objects such as rocks, branches and vegetation within the male’s territory. The secretion in agamids is mostly protein (likely keratin), pheromones and other chemical compounds (Gans and Crews, 1992). The femoral pores (ducts) continuously and slowly release a thick waxy solid secretion (holocrine secretion) known as a secretion plug (Imparato, 2007). Used to recognise of their own species, sex and individuals (Mayerl et al, 2015).Used by males to mark territory (Brown, 2012 Mayerl et al, 2015), and.The two most widely accepted hypotheses for the purpose of the femoral pore secretions are that they are a chemical signature which is: Holocrine secretion means releasing a secretion that is a product of disintegrating cells. Purpose and Secrets Bearded Dragon Femoral Pores Revealįemoral pores are epidermal structures connected to glands that produce a waxy holocrine secretion and is part of the pheromonal communication in lizards (Aragon et al, 2001). Top: Femoral pores of juvenile female Pogona minor (dwarf bearded dragon) barely discernible.īottom: Femoral pores of the adult Pogona vitticeps (central bearded dragon). The femoral pores of female bearded dragons are far smaller than the males.
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