Search results for "sexual dichromatism"
showing 2 items of 2 documents
A rare observation of a male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) on Barbados.
2013
4 pages; International audience; We report the observation of a male Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis) on the island of Barbados from 24 May to 12 June 2010, only the third record for this species on Barbados. We discuss the relevance of this observation to the taxonomic status of the Barbados Bullfinch (L. barbadensis) and the evolutionary loss of sexual dichromatism.
Protective coloration of European vipers throughout the predation sequence
2020
Antipredator adaptations in the form of animal coloration are common and often multifunctional. European vipers (genus Vipera) have a characteristic dorsal zigzag pattern, which has been shown to serve as a warning signal to potential predators. At the same time, it has been suggested to decrease detection risk, and to cause a motion dazzle or flicker-fusion effect during movement. We tested these hypotheses by asking whether (1) the zigzag pattern decreases detection risk and (2) the detection is dependent on the base coloration (grey or brown) or the snake's posture (coiled, basking form or S-shaped, active form). Additionally, (3) we measured the fleeing speed of adders, Vipera berus, an…