Intersexual and body size-related variation in chemical constituents from feces and cloacal products involved in intraspecific communication of a fossorial amphisbaenian

Abstract

Background Many animals rely on chemical cues for intraspecific communication. This is especially important in fossorial animals because visual restrictions of the underground environment limit the opportunities for visual communication. Previous experiments showed the ability of the amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni to discriminate between several categories of conspecifics based on chemical cues alone. However, in contrast with many other reptile species, T. wiegmanni does not have external secretory glands, but uses uncharacterized secretions from the cloaca in intraspecific chemosensory communication. Methods Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we analyzed the lipophilic compounds from feces and cloacal products freshly extracted from the cloaca of male and female T. wiegmanni. We identified and estimated relative proportions of the compounds found, and tested for intersexual and body-size related differences. Results We found a total of 103 compounds, being some steroids (mainly cholesterol and cholestanol), some alkanes and squalene the most abundant and frequent. Further, we found intersexual differences, with males, especially larger ones, having higher proportions of several alkanes between C13 and C24 and of squalene than females, which had higher proportions of several steroids and also of nonacosane and methylnonacosane than males. We compared these findings with secretions of other animals and discuss the potential role of these compounds and their variations in intraspecific communication of amphisbaenians.