Dial and Fitzpatrick (1983) staged encounters between a feral cat and two species of lizard, for each of which autotomy was induced by the experimenters. In some instances, the cat attacked the autotomized tail rather than the lizard allowing the lizard to escape; in others, the cat ignored the tail and attacked and captured the lizard. The primary difference between the two situations appears to have been
A) high levels of toxins that had been sequestered in the tail.
B) the fact that the lizards that escaped also possessed highly functional false heads.
C) vigorous postautotomous movement in the tails of the lizards that escaped.
D) all of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The primary difference was the vigorous postautotomous movement in the tails of the lizards that escaped, which distracted the predators and allowed the lizards to escape.

Dial and Fitzpatrick (1983) Staged Encounters Between a Feral Cat