Abstract
WE kept here this summer two common lizards (Lacerta vivipara), one a very active male, the other a female which was much less active because she was soon to give birth to a litter of young. One day I turned a batch of earwigs into the lizards' bowl, and a vigorous hunt ensued. When a lizard seizes any sort of prey it shakes it violently and repeatedly before swallowing it, thus incidentally advertising its success. At one moment it happened that the female was worrying an earwig when the male had none. He darted across and tried to snatch her earwig from her. She eluded him that time, but a few seconds later he tried again and succeeded. She made no attempt to get the earwig back; soon after he had swallowed it, however, she pounced on him and bit his elbow, tearing off a small piece of skin.
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GILL, E. Behaviour in Lizards. Nature 108, 179 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/108179b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/108179b0
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