Diversidade quimiossensorial: o papel do órgão vômero-nasal no forrageamento e adaptação evolutiva de lagartos

Abstract

Chemoreception plays a fundamental role in the behavior of squamate reptiles, directly influencing prey detection and survival. This study tested the hypothesis that a relationship exists between chemosensory capacity and foraging mode, aiming to (1) investigate lipid discrimination capabilities in active-foraging versus sit-and-wait lizards; (2) record food choices among different prey types; and (3) examine the importance of vision in the foraging process for each individual. To this end, three behavioral experiments were conducted: the first evaluated individual responses to five treatments; the second observed food choices between prey items with high versus low lipid content; and the third analyzed foraging success in the absence of vision. Results from tests on 145 individuals indicated that active-foraging lizards possessed significantly superior chemosensory capabilities compared to ambush foragers, responding more intensely to the odors of insects, larvae, and saturated fat. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a phylogenetic signal of 35.7%, demonstrating that over one-third of this exploratory behavior is inherited from common ancestors. Without vision, foraging success was limited to species within the Lacertoidea clade, most notably Ameiva ameiva (80.64%). Finally, a significant number of animals did not respond to the dual-choice and foraging experiments; this was associated with behavioral inhibition caused by captivity stress and the choice of prey and substrate.