Coloured and toxic nectar : feeding choices of the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis

dc.contributor.authorMinnaar, I.A. (Ingrid Ane)
dc.contributor.authorKohler, Angela
dc.contributor.authorPurchase, Cromwell
dc.contributor.authorNicolson, Sue W.
dc.contributor.emailiaminnaar@zoology.up.ac.zaen
dc.date.accessioned2013-07-12T07:29:06Z
dc.date.available2014-05-31T00:20:08Z
dc.date.issued2013-05
dc.description.abstractColoured nectar is a rare phenomenon best known from islands and insular habitats. Islands are also known for lizard pollination, where coloured nectar potentially acts as a visual cue to attract pollinators, advertising the sweet reward. However, nectar may also contain secondary metabolites with toxic or deterrent effects. The aim of this study was to determine which factors are important as artificial nectar choice determinants to the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis, an island pollinator: artificial nectar colour, artificial nectar colour saturation, artificial nectar conspicuousness and/or the presence of the alkaloid nicotine. Coloured artificial nectar and the darkest artificial nectar colour saturation were found to be important visual cues for the geckos, while the contrast between artificial nectar and petal colour was not. Geckos were deterred only by high nicotine concentrations (1000 lM in 0.63 M sucrose) and may even prefer low nicotine concentrations to sucroseonly solutions. Given their overall fondness for sugar solutions, Madagascar giant day geckos are likely to be important pollinators of Malagasy plant species that produce enough nectar to attract them, and plants with coloured nectar and/or secondary metabolites may have evolved those traits to attract the geckos in particular.en
dc.description.librarianhb2013en
dc.description.librarianab2013
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was supported by the South African National Research Foundation (grant number 73671) and the University of Pretoria.en
dc.description.urihttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com./journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1439-0310en
dc.identifier.citationMinnaar, IA, Köhler, A, Purchase C & Nicolson, SW 2013, 'Coloured and toxic nectar : feeding choices of the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandis', Ethology, vol. 119, no. 5, pp.417-426.en
dc.identifier.issn0179-1613 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1439-0310 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1111/eth.12079
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/21911
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherWiley-Blackwellen
dc.rights© 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH. The definite version is available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com./journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1439-0310.en
dc.subjectGeckosen
dc.subjectMadagascaren
dc.subjectPhelsuma grandisen
dc.subject.lcshPhelsumaen
dc.subject.lcshNectaren
dc.subject.lcshNectarivoresen
dc.titleColoured and toxic nectar : feeding choices of the Madagascar giant day gecko, Phelsuma grandisen
dc.typePostprint Articleen

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