How Lizards Find Their Way Home | HHMI BioInteractive Video

When Dr. Manuel Leal removed lizards from an area in the forest, he noticed an interesting phenomenon: all the lizards seemed to be back the next day. Watch as he sets up an experiment to study how these lizards navigate home.
Anole lizards are highly territorial and typically stick close to their home tree. So, what happens when you carry them far away into the forest? Will they find their way back? Dr. Manuel Leal and colleagues designed an experiment to find out. They displaced trunk-ground anoles 80 meters away from their home territories and then tracked their movements through the dense forest using radio transmitters. Most of the lizards were able to orient themselves and head in the right direction, with some making a beeline back to their original tree in less than 24 hours! So, how did they do it? Dr. Leal would like to know too. He has tested a couple of common mechanisms other species use to navigate, by sensing Earth’s magnetic fields and detecting polarized light, but with no success. If you have any suggestions for how to test the anoles’ homing abilities, Dr. Leal would like to hear from you at [e-mail].

[@RhinoXpress]

the first 3 lizards were too proud to ask for directions. lol

[@jaderson-dsnaveia]

Man, that's amazing. I have the oportunity to do a professional intership with a biologist 18 years ago. Soon I start to make contact with wild animals, and reptiles like snakes from many species, and lizards, and confirm that they bring much more skills and nature's wisdom that we can suppose. Since then I continue to preserving this approach, learning with they, and protect It, as every animal that need It.

[@Roedygr]

This video does not tackle the question of how anoles find their way home. I just discovered they go in a straight line.

[@nightwaves3203]

Would help if original location was satisfying for the lizard and how much competition for the territory was ongoing. Then you could always say the lizards that went away from the study area were smart enough to sniff out human presence in the study area and concluded enough of these giant creatures swinging antennas around. Yes there's more.

[@bubblegumgun3292]

i guess Lizard brain is a compliment now

[@lovelyyoonggie]

Lisard: Gets taken from their home
The lizard leaving the box: What is this place

[@andreisabe]

Amazing video, how come I didn't know this channel!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like and subscribed!

[@bethanderson1612]

Does anyone know if any further studies have been conducted to really find out how the anoles are navigating?

[@soonapaana24]

I conducted the same experiments with the lizards in my house's bathroom... we have a deal, he doesn't come into my territory and I don't go into his.

[@aurahealthylife8673]

I LOVE LUZARDS

[@sebastianpalacios9461]

so......, no answer?

[@Tracks777]

Great! Keep it up!

[@Lizardliker]

It seems the issue is they get eaten on the way home, home is safety.

[@mars4844]

I catch these guys to feed my chickens

[@deceased._]

.----------.

[@andreisabe]

What if they havea 3D map of their enviroment in their brains ? could that be possible for those little creatures?

[@cg.man_aka_kevin]

They home??? ( No Way Home ). :)))

[@jdawg7431]

What's the IV of this experiment?

[@happyforever2183]

Poor lizard

[@doubledoggo5668]

Didn't even answer the question...

[@MultiTrace22]

Double Doggo maybe the title is not the question to answer. Maybe the video is about how the question arises in the first place.

[@jonathanleviton5787]

repeat the experiment but much much further

[@jimmywillims5929]

They can taste smell the air only way

[@voltexplayz]

He has no way home to Andrew's verse

[@ngocnhinguyen4126]

What

[@indomihenrex000eduardo7]

Wath