ARBOREAL BEHAVIOR OF PsAMMoDRoMus AlGIRus (SQUAMATA: LACERTIDAE) IN OLIVE GROVES

Large Psammodromus (Psammodromus algirus) is a lizard that has flexible antipredator behavior, with a considerable preference for finding shelter in the leaf litter under short scrub, and which rarely uses tree trunks to escape from predators. Nevertheless, few works have studied the microhabitat uses and the antipredator behavior of this species in more simplified landscapes, such as agricultural areas. In this work, we studied the microhabitat use (where they were observed and to where they escaped) of the lizard Psammodromus algirus in two types of olive groves located in southern Spain: with herbaceous ground cover and with bare ground. We found a large number of lizards in olive trees, which were their preferred destination after fleeing behavior in both types of olive groves, although the proportion of individuals fleeing towards the trees was greater in plots with bare ground. Moreover, a large proportion of the lizards observed on the ground fled towards the olive trees, suggesting that they actively seek the trees as a place of refuge. These results suggest that the lack of suitable microhabitats proving shelter on the ground forces these terrestrial lizards to use trees, which may allow them to colonize simplified landscapes such as olive groves in which there is no alternative shelter.