Dialogues in colour and behaviour: Integration of complex signalling traits and physiology

Animal communication can be complex and costly, involving multiple traits that vary in redundancy. To understand how dynamic signals are integrated, we staged male-male interactions between size-matched individuals of Psammophilus dorsalis, and measured display behaviours, the maximum chromatic contrast of dynamically changing skin colours, and size of ultraviolet patches. We also measured testosterone and corticosterone levels induced by the social interaction. All signalling traits condensed in a principal component analysis into two main components – PC1, comprising of behaviours (number of headbobs and shudders) and ultraviolet (UV) patch size, and PC2, representing the dorsal and lateral body colours. Testosterone levels were positively associated with PC1, and both testosterone and corticosterone levels were negatively associated with PC2. Our results suggest that the chromatic contrasts of colours are non-redundant with the intensity of behaviours, and that size of UV patches bet..., We staged male-male interactions in the lab and measured the entire repertoire of display behaviour using a video camera. We also measured dorsal and lateral body colours in both visible and ultraviolet ranges from photographs using a multispectral camera. An X-Rite colour checker was used to linearise and normalise all the colours measured. ImageJ was used to measure the area of UV patches. Additionally, we measured plasma testosterone and corticosterone levels before and after the social trials. Snout-vent length and weight for each lizard were measured using a linear scale and a weighing balance respectively before the trials., , # Dialogues in colour and behaviour - Integration of complex signalling traits and physiology

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wgh](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wgh)

## Description of the files included:

### Data Files: 

The following files contain colour, behaviour and hormone data measured from the agamid lizard *Psammophilus dorsalis* during staged male-male social interaction trials.

**Metadata.csv** - Contains description of all the column names (i.e. traits measured) used in all the data files, along with their units.

**Social.csv** - Data for all the animals that were allowed to interact in paired social interaction trials. Missing values have been marked as 'NA'.

**Control.csv** - Data for control animals, that were not part of an actual interaction, but still underwent the same experimental conditions as the social animals. Missing values have been marked as 'NA'.

**Substrate_Colours.csv** - Contains % Reflectance of visible light for various natural su...,