DOI: 10.5061/dryad.q83bk3jm9
title: Data from: High predation risk decimates survival during the reproduction season

description: Predators attack conspicuous prey phenotypes that are present in the
 environment. Male display behaviour of conspicuous nuptial colouration
 becomes risky in the presence of a predator, and adult males face higher
 predation risk. High predation risk in one sex will lead to low survival
 and sex ratio bias in adult cohorts, unless the increased predation risk
 is compensated by higher escape rate.  Here, we tested the
 hypothesis that sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) have sex-specific predation
 risk and escape rate. We expected the differences to manifest in changes
 in sex ratio with age, differences in frequency of tail autotomy, and in
 sex-specific survival rate. We developed a statistical model to estimate
 predation risk and escape rate, combining the observed sex ratio and
 frequency of tail autotomy with likelihood-based survival rate. Using a
 Bayesian framework, we estimated the model parameters. We projected the
 date of the tail autotomy events from growth rates derived from
 capture-recapture data measurements. We found statistically stable sex
 ratio in age groups, equal frequency of tail regenerates between sexes,
 and similar survival rate. Predation risk is similar between sexes, and
 escape rate increases survival by about 5%. We found low survival rate and
 a low number of tail autotomy events in females during months when sand
 lizards mate and lay eggs, indicating high predator pressure throughout
 reproduction. Our data show that gravid females fail to escape
 predation.  The risks of reproduction season in an ectotherm are
 a convolution of morphological changes (conspicuous colouration in males,
 body allometry changes in gravid females), behaviour (nuptial displays),
 and environmental conditions which challenge lizard thermal performance.
 Performance of endotherm predators in cold spring months endangers gravid
 females more than displaying males in bright nuptial
 colouration. 
description: Capture-recapture data of sand lizards (<em>Lacerta
 agilis</em>, Lacertidae, Reptilia) from Hustopeče, Czechia (48.93 N,
 16.72 E). animal - identification of the
 animal; prefix indicates the latest possible year of hatching
 day - day of capture month - month of
 capture year - year of capture
 season - phase I started from the arousal from hibernation, and
 lasted until the first adult male started to lose nuptial colouration;
 phase II constituted the season after males started to lose nuptial
 colouration, and lasted until the beginning of hibernation
 sex - sex of the animal ventralia - number
 of scales in the second rows from the ventral medial line
 age - young animals were juveniles and subadults, the remaining
 animals were considered adult aged.month -
 approximate age of the animal in months regenerate -
 presence of tail regenerate predation.attempt - first
 record of tail regenerate or reduced tail length at recapture
 Lreg - tail regenerate length in mm; 0 - animal with intact
 tail, 0.01 - recent tail autotomy, no tail regenerate growth
 measurable tailL - tail length from cloaca to tail
 tip corrected for body length from rostrum to cloaca48.93 N, 16.72 E48.93 N, 16.72 E)