Predator-driven behavioral shifts in a common lizard shape resource-flow from marine to terrestrial ecosystems

We conducted a field experiment to assess foraging niche dynamics of semiarboreal brown anole lizards in the presence/absence of predatory ground-dwelling curly tailed lizards in a replicated set of island ecosystems. Data used in this study includes ecological infomration for the replicated islands of study (i.e. relative arthropod and seaweedabundances) together with phenotypic data of the lizards studied (body mass, size, body condition, as well as behavioral traits describing risk-taking behavior) as well as habitat use data and marine component of diet as a surrogate of the diet of these lizards. One year after experimental translocation, brown anoles exposed to these predators increased perch height and reduced consumption of marine-derived food resources. We also use this dataset to investigate if this foraging niche shift altered marine-to-terrestrial resource-flow dynamics and persisted in the diets of the first-generation offspring. Finally, we also assessed if  lizards that displayed more risk-taking behaviors consumed more marine prey on islands with predators present.

Methods
All field data used in this study was collected in Abaco, Bahamas in 2016 and 2017.

Tissue samples collected in the field in 2017 and analyzed in SIA facilities at UC Davis.