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Lizards in ‘nuclear families’: a novel reptilian social system in Egernia saxatilis (Scincidae) by D. O'Connor; R. Shine is a Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology article available to read on EtoBox.

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## Abstract Recent research has revealed unsuspected complexity in social organization among squamate reptiles. In particular, large Australian scincid lizards of the genus __Egernia__ have been reported to occur in large aggregations of closely related individuals. However, the ‘nuclear family’ structure found in many other ‘social’ organisms (especially birds) has not been reported from reptiles. Our field studies on black rock skinks (__Egernia saxatilis__) in southeastern Australia document exactly this pattern. We quantified group composition using behavioural observations at regular intervals over three field seasons, and took tissue samples for parentage analysis. On the focal rock outcrop 72% of lizards were typically found as part of a stable social grouping, with individuals physically associated with other group members in a third of observations. Eighty‐five per cent of juveniles lived in social groups, 65% in family groups with at least one of their parents (including 39% with both parents as revealed by parentage analysis of five microsatellite loci). Broader sampling in surrounding areas revealed similar patterns of group size, composition and relatedness. Overall, o

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Author

D. O'Connor; R. Shine

Publisher

John Wiley and Sons; Wiley (Blackwell Publishing); Blackwell Publishing Inc.; Wiley; Research Square (ISSN 0962-1083)

Published

2003

Language

EN

Field

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Life Sciences)