Fence Lizard (1 of 2) (IMAGE)
Caption
New research shows that when some fence lizards are attacked by fire ants they "stress out" with elevated levels of stress hormones -- a response that helps the species to flee quickly and survive. In contrast, the response to danger of fence-lizard populations that never have been attacked by fire ants is to freeze in place. The stress-hormone research, which is helping scientists to understand the impact of invasive species on native populations, was announced at the 2010 annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America by Tracy Langkilde, assistant professor of biology at Penn State University. This photo shows Dr. Langkilde holding a female fence lizard.
Credit
Langkilde laboratory, Penn State University
Usage Restrictions
The credit must be published along with the image.
License
Licensed content