Data from: Discrete colour polymorphism in the tawny dragon lizard (Ctenophorus decresii) and differences in signal conspicuousness among morphs

Intraspecific colour variation is common in nature and can vary from the
coexistence of discrete colour variants in polymorphic species to
continuous variation. Whether coloration is continuous or discrete is
often ambiguous and many species exhibit a combination of the two. The
nature of the variation (discrete or continuous) has implications for both
the genetic basis of the colour variation and the evolutionary processes
generating and maintaining it. Consequently, it is important to qualify
the existence of discrete morphs, particularly in relation to the
animal's visual system. In this study, we quantified male throat
colour variation in Ctenophorus decresii tawny dragon lizard and tested
for morphological and ecological correlates of the colour variants. We
confirmed that discrete throat colour morphs can be defined based on
colour and pattern analyses independent of the human visual system. We
also found that the colour variants differed in their conspicuousness from
the background, to the lizard's visual system, which has implications
for signalling. However, the morphs did not differ in morphology or
microhabitat use, which suggests that these characteristics are not
involved in the evolutionary maintenance of the polymorphism.