Social Cost of Tail Loss in <i>Uta stansburiana</i>

Abstract

Tail removal from dominant juvenile Uta stansburiana resulted in a decrease in social status in dyadic encounters. Most lizards were affected after removal of two-thirds of their tails. In some pairs, dominant lizards lost status after removal of one-third of their tails but regained dominance after the other member of the pair lost two-thirds of its tail. Tail loss in nature may impose a social handicap to successful home range acquisition and thereby increase risk of death.