Vol. 76 (4) 2024

ARTICLES

Exploratory Behaviour and Risk-taking in Two Legless Lizard Species in Bulgaria: the Common Slow Worm
Anguis fragilis L., 1758 and the Eastern Slow Worm
Anguis colchica (Nordmann, 1840) (Squamata: Anguidae)

Ivan S. Telenchev, Venislava V. Spasova* & Daniela M. Simeonovska-Nikolova

More Info

Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, 8 Dragan
Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria; venislavar@yahoo.com

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb76.4.002805

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Abstract
Exploratory behaviour in animals is considered a driver of dispersal propensity, which might result in colonisation of new environments and population range expansion in the long term. To find out whether the patterns of exploratory behaviour and risk-taking in the slow worm, Anguis fragilis (L., 1758) differ from that of the eastern slow worm, A. colchica (Nordmann, 1840), the behaviour of nine A. fragilis and seven A. colchica individuals was tested. Escape latency at capture and response to a novel environment and a new object in captivity were assessed. Slow worms of A. fragilis were more exploratory than A. colchica but no difference in risk-taking between the two species was found. Probably the higher exploratory activity of A. fragilis, compared to A. colchica, could be connected to its wider vertical distribution and greater diversity of habitat occupancy.

Key words
animal behaviour, Anguidae, novel object test, open field test

How to Cite
Telenchev I.S., Spasova V.V. & Simeonovska-Nikolova D.M. 2024. Exploratory Behaviour and Risk-taking in Two Legless Lizard Species in Bulgaria: the Common Slow Worm Anguis fragilis L., 1758 and the Eastern Slow Worm Anguis colchica (Nordmann, 1840) (Squamata: Anguidae). Acta zoologica bulgarica 76 (4) 459-466.

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