Movement is an important characteristic of an animal's ecology, reflecting the perception of and response to environmental conditions. To effectively search for food, movement patterns likely depend on habitat characteristics and the sensory systems used to find prey. We examined movements associated with foraging for two sympatric species of lizards inhabiting the Great Basin Desert of southeastern Oregon. The two species have largely overlapping diets but find prey via different sensory cues, which link to their differing foraging strategies—the long‐nosed leopard lizard, Gambelia wislizenii, is a visually‐oriented predator, while the western whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris, relies more heavily on chemosensory cues to find prey. Using detailed focal observations, we characterized the habitat use and movement paths of each species. We placed markers at the location of focal animals every minute for the duration of each 30‐min observation. Afterward, we recorded whether each location was in the open or in vegetation, as well as the movement metrics of step length, path length, net displacement, straightness index, and turn angle, and then made statistical comparisons between the two species. The visual forager spent more time in open areas, moved less frequently over shorter distances, and differed in patterns of plant use compared to the chemosensory forager. Path characteristics of step length and turn angle differed between species. The visual predator moved in a way that was consistent with the notion that they require a clear visual path to stalk prey whereas the movement of the chemosensory predator increased their chances of detecting prey by venturing further into vegetation. Sympatric species can partition limited resources through differences in search behavior and habitat use.

We compared the movement patterns of foraging Colorado Checkered Whiptails (Aspidoscelis neotesselata) in 2 different habitat types: shrub-grassland and pinyon pine–juniper woodland. We characterized movement by (1) segmenting movement paths into step lengths and turn angles and (2) determining first-passage times (FPTs). Lizards differed in their pattern of movement in the 2 habitats. FPTs were shorter in the pinyon pine–juniper woodland habitat and were positively correlated with ground cover. Lizards also moved more frequently, had longer step lengths, and traveled greater total distances in the pinyon pine–juniper woodland. There were no habitat differences in turn angles, net displacement, or movement path straightness. Habitat-based differences in movement might reflect differences in prey availability and predation risk.

Intraspecific variation in behavior is often associated with age or size class, with many animals experiencing ontogenetic differences in diet, predation risk, physiological function, and competition. The nature of intraspecific behavioral variation will depend on the environmental context and has been more thoroughly examined for diurnal species. We studied microhabitat use and activity relative to time of night and the lunar cycle for the nocturnal gecko Chondrodactylus turneri, in the Namib Desert. Geckos preferred larger rocks with more crevices and were clumped in their occupancy of rocks, with some rocks being occupied by as many as eight individuals. Age classes differed in their use of open areas, with juveniles being encountered more often in the open. Activity levels varied with moon phase and time, with adults and juveniles exhibiting different relationships. Our results indicate that multiple factors might be influencing intraspecific behavioral variation.

We studied the long-nosed leopard lizard, Gambelia wislizenii, in the Great Basin Desert of southeastern Oregon to identify intraspecific patterns of behavioral variation. Sex and body size played an important role in determining intraspecific behavioral differences. Males and females showed different habitat preferences, with males spending more time on hardpan and in the center of shrubs. Males made more long moves and clustered their long moves more frequently than females. Smaller lizards displayed more head turns, tongue flicks, and use of elevated perches. Smaller individuals also spent a higher proportion of time moving. Resumen Estudiamos el lagarto leopardo, Gambelia wislizenii, en el desierto Great Basin del sureste de Oregon para identificar patrones intraspecíficos de variación conductual. El sexo y el tamaño corporal desempeñó un papel importante en la determinación de las diferencias del comportamiento intraespecífico. Los machos y las hembras mostraron diferentes preferencias de hábitat, con los machos pasando más tiempo en la capa dura terrestre y en el centro de arbustos. Los machoshicieron más movimientos largos y agruparon sus movimientos largos más frecuentemente que las hembras. Los lagartos más pequeños giraron más la cabeza , lamieron y usaron perchas más elevadas. Los individuos más pequeños también pasaron una mayor proporción de tiempo en movimiento.