He also is one of Flowers' advisers. He is providing new understanding of how environmental factors can shape differences in the behavior of males and females of a species. Flowers makes behavioral observations on South Mountain during all seasons, including the sweltering heat of an Arizona June. We pick an animal, watch it for half an hour, and record its behavior. I watched the males fight and quantified their color patterns.
Chuckwallas are secretive reptiles.
Gathering enough data through observation of individual animals takes time. The ASU researcher says that the battles between male chuckwallas can be an amazing spectacle. Chuckwallas also make interesting social displays. Fighting is the ultimate part of social interaction between the males. But they will try to solve issues before fighting.