Some Commensal Relations of the Lizard Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Linne)

Pearson, P.; Nelson, G.

Commensalism, as used by Allee et al., involves relations that are beneficial to at least one and harmful to neither partner of a cooperative association. We wish to present a new example of this concept as represented by host-guest associations of the teiid lizard Cnemidophorus and the mouse Peromyscus poliontus. This is apparently on the nonspecifc behavior level since Cnemidophorus has been reported associated with gopherturtle (Copherus polyphemus) burrows. There are a few records of the western forms of this lizard digging their own burrows, or at least living in burrows presumed made by the lizards themselves. On September 11, 1951, we investigated about __ P. polionotus burrows in the Sand Pine-Scrub association of the Ocala National Forest, Marinan County. FL. The burrow of this mouse is about 1.5 inches in diameter and extends at a slight angle and a depth of about 2 feet where it widens to form a globose nest chamber apporoximately 8 inches in diameter. From here a tunnel extends almost vertically to within an inch of the soil surface. This tunnel serves as an escape route in times of danger. At least a third of the mouse burrows that we examined had lizard tracks leading into them, regardless of whether or not Peromyscus was inside. On two occasions a Cnemidophorus entered a Peromycus burrow as we approached. In both when we began to dig at the opening a lizard burst from the ground about a foot from the burrow. Closer examination showed that the lizard went into the burrow to a depth of nearly 4 inches, at which point the burrow is usually plugged. Here the lizard had previously dug a side tunnel perpendicular to the mouse burrow and a slanting upward almost to the soil surface.

Some Commensal Relations of the Lizard Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Linne)

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