Data from: Fear no colors? Observer clothing color influences lizard escape behavior

Animals often view humans as predators, leading to alterations in their
behavior. Even nuanced aspects of human activity like clothing color
affect animal behavior, but we lack an understanding of when and where
such effects will occur. The species confidence hypothesis posits that
birds are attracted to colors found on their bodies and repelled by
non-body colors. Here, we extend this hypothesis taxonomically and
conceptually to test whether this pattern is applicable in a non-avian
reptile and to suggest that species should respond less fearfully to their
sexually-selected signaling color. Responses to clothing color could also
be impacted by habituation to humans, so we examine whether behavior
varied between areas with low and high human activity. We quantified the
effects of four T-shirt colors on flight initiation distances (FID) and on
the ease of capture in western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis),
and we accounted for detectability against the background environment. We
found no differences in lizard behavior between sites. However, lizards
tolerated the closest approaches and were most likely to be captured when
approached with the T-shirt that resembled their sexually-selected
signaling color. Because changes in individual behavior affect fitness,
choice of clothing color by people, including tourists, hikers, and
researchers, could impact wildlife populations and research outcomes.