Predatory behavior inTupinambis teguixin (Sauria: Teiidae). I. Tongue-flicking responses to chemical food stimuli

Black tegu lizards (Tupinambis teguixin) have the ability to detect food odors and discriminate between them and nonfood odors. This was tested by offering chemical stimuli on cotton-tipped applicators to the animals. Stimuli were from two plant and two animal species known to be principal items in these lizards' diets, demineralized water as an odorless control, and eaude-cologne as an odorous control lacking feeding or social importance. Tongueflick attack score, latency to attack, preattack tongue-flicks, and number of attacks were analyzed. The results clearly demonstrated that this species responds to chemical food stimuli, but does not respond to odorless nonfood stimuli. Responses differed among food types. There were no sex differences. These results are in agreement with the prediction that lizards having forked tongues and an active foraging mode rely on chemical cues for feeding.