Defensive behaviour and tail autotomy inColeodactylus meridionalis(Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae)

Lizards can display several defensive behaviours. Here, we describe defensive behaviours of Coleodactylus meridionalis (Meridian Gecko) in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil, using pitfall traps with drift fences and time-limited diurnal and nocturnal search method. We also tested if body size and sex predict the incidence of caudal autotomy. We recorded six antipredatory behaviours in 253 individuals. Hiding was the most common behaviour, followed by immobility, locomotory escape, caudal autotomy, cloacal discharge, and jumping escape. Of the 223 individuals collected for analysis of caudal autotomy, nearly half of them had autotomised tails. About 55% of individuals with autotomised tail were found with a regenerating tail. The tail had at least two points of autotomy: a distal one and a basal one. Regardless the sex of individuals, the probability of autotomy decreased as body size increases. Our results can guide future studies on behavioural ecology of this lizard species.