Heterospecific alarm call recognition in a non-vocal reptile.

نویسندگان

  • Maren N Vitousek
  • James S Adelman
  • Nathan C Gregory
  • James J H St Clair
چکیده

The ability to recognize and respond to the alarm calls of heterospecifics has previously been described only in species with vocal communication. Here we provide evidence that a non-vocal reptile, the Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), can eavesdrop on the alarm call of the Galápagos mockingbird (Nesomimus parvulus) and respond with anti-predator behaviour. Eavesdropping on complex heterospecific communications demonstrates a remarkable degree of auditory discrimination in a non-vocal species.

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عنوان ژورنال:
  • Biology letters

دوره 3 6  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2007