DOI: 10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wgh
title: Data from: Dialogues in colour and behaviour: Integration of complex signalling traits and physiology

description: Animal communication can be complex and costly, involving multiple traits
 that vary in redundancy. To understand how dynamic signals are integrated,
 we staged male-male interactions between size-matched individuals of
 Psammophilus dorsalis, and measured display behaviours, the maximum
 chromatic contrast of dynamically changing skin colours, and size of
 ultraviolet patches. We also measured testosterone and corticosterone
 levels induced by the social interaction. All signalling traits condensed
 in a principal component analysis into two main components – PC1,
 comprising of behaviours (number of headbobs and shudders) and ultraviolet
 (UV) patch size, and PC2, representing the dorsal and lateral body
 colours. Testosterone levels were positively associated with PC1, and both
 testosterone and corticosterone levels were negatively associated with
 PC2. Our results suggest that the chromatic contrasts of colours are
 non-redundant with the intensity of behaviours, and that size of UV
 patches better reflect behavioural intensity than other colour components.
 We also found that individuals matched the intensity of display behaviours
 and the contrast of their dorsal (but not lateral) colours with their
 opponents. Overall, these results highlight how multiple dynamic signals,
 which change in response to opponents during social interactions, can be
 maintained by both internal mechanisms (i.e. hormones) as well as through
 non-redundancy. 
description: We staged male-male interactions in the lab and measured the
 entire repertoire of display behaviour using a video camera. We also
 measured dorsal and lateral body colours in both visible and ultraviolet
 ranges from photographs using a multispectral camera. An X-Rite colour
 checker was used to linearise and normalise all the colours measured.
 ImageJ was used to measure the area of UV patches. Additionally, we
 measured plasma testosterone and corticosterone levels before and after
 the social trials. Snout-vent length and weight for each lizard were
 measured using a linear scale and a weighing balance respectively before
 the trials.
description: # Dialogues in colour and behaviour - Integration of complex signalling
 traits and physiology
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wgh](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.k6djh9wgh) ## Description of the files included: ### Data Files: The following files contain colour, behaviour and hormone data measured from the agamid lizard *Psammophilus dorsalis* during staged male-male social interaction trials. **Metadata.csv** - Contains description of all the column names (i.e. traits measured) used in all the data files, along with their units. **Social.csv** - Data for all the animals that were allowed to interact in paired social interaction trials. Missing values have been marked as 'NA'. **Control.csv** - Data for control animals, that were not part of an actual interaction, but still underwent the same experimental conditions as the social animals. Missing values have been marked as 'NA'. **Substrate_Colours.csv** - Contains % Reflectance of visible light for various natural substrates (adapted from Amdekar and Thaker 2019) and for 40% grey colour used in the experiments. ### Code File: **Codes - Patro et al. 2025.txt** - Contains codes for all the tests, analyses and plots, used in the manuscript. ### Software used: Microsoft Office or any text editor can be used to view the .csv file. Notepad is needed to view the .txt file. RStudio Ver: 4.4.1 was used to analyse all data.