caa a22 4500 445389621 CHVBK 20180317143042.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s00049-011-0076-4 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s00049-011-0076-4 Scent marking pheromones in lizards: cholesterol and long chain alcohols elicit avoidance and aggression in male Acanthodactylus boskianus (Squamata: Lacertidae) [Elektronische Daten] [Eraqi Khannoon, Afaf El-Gendy, Jörg Hardege] Femoral gland secretions are believed to play an important role in chemical communication and social organization of lizards. In spite of this, few studies have investigated the chemical composition and the behavioural roles of these secretions. The lacertid lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus is a good example, having these well-developed glands in both sexes. We used GC-MS chemical analysis of gland secretions and y-maze choice test bioassays to investigate the ability of the lizards to detect and respond to different synthetic blends made from compounds identified in the gland secretions. Based upon the GC-MS quantification data, we selected representatives of the main chemical groups (steroids, alcohols, acids, alkanes) detected in the lizard secretions and used these in a behavioural bioassay against controls. Males showed significant avoidance behaviour for cholesterol and alcohol blends, combined with agonistic behaviour towards these stimuli. Females did not show any significant selection to particular odour combinations. The data support the hypotheses that lizards can potentially use femoral gland secretions in chemical odour trails and utilize scent to mark territories and potentially also to establish dominance hierarchies. Cholesterol and long chain alcohols are suggested as potential candidates functioning as scent marking pheromones in A. boskianus. Springer Basel AG, 2011 Agonistic behaviour nationallicence Aggression nationallicence Scent pheromones nationallicence Femoral glands nationallicence Acanthodactylus boskianus nationallicence Khannoon Eraqi Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, HU6 7RX, Hull, UK aut El-Gendy Afaf Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, 63514, El Fayoum, Egypt aut Hardege Jörg Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, HU6 7RX, Hull, UK aut Chemoecology SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 21/3(2011-09-01), 143-149 0937-7409 21:3<143 2011 21 49 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-011-0076-4 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-011-0076-4 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Khannoon Eraqi Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, HU6 7RX, Hull, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- El-Gendy Afaf Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, 63514, El Fayoum, Egypt aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Hardege Jörg Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, HU6 7RX, Hull, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Chemoecology SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 21/3(2011-09-01), 143-149 0937-7409 21:3<143 2011 21 49 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer