Inter-Individual Differences in Ornamental Colouration in a Mediterranean Lizard in Relation to Altitude, Season, Sex, Age, and Body Traits

Animals frequently show complex colour patterns involved in social communication, which attracts great interest evolutionary and behavioural ecology. Most researchers interpret that each animals with multiple patches may either signal a different bearer’s trait or redundantly convey the same information. Colour signals, moreover, vary geographically according to bearer qualities. In this study, we analyse sources of variation eastern clade lizard Psammodromus algirus. Sexual dichromatism markedly differs between clades; both possess lateral blue eyespots, but whereas males western populations display strikingly colourful orange-red throats during breeding season, lizards only some commissure pigmentation light yellow throats. We how traits (commissure throat colouration, number eyespots) body size, head size (an indicator fighting ability), sex along an elevational gradient. Our findings eyespots function independently from throat, were interrelated. Males had more orange commissures (which colourless females). Throat saturation presence coloured increased older lizards. The commissure, positively related size. However, while was maximal at lowlands, altitude. Overall, our results suggest harbours several altitudinally differ their importance, generally provide redundant relevance depend on context. For example, all signals indicate colouration work well short distance when opens mouth, might better long distance. Meanwhile, probably conditions, explain altitudinal relative importance component.