Question

Suppose an infection in a common side-blotched lizard population killed many more males than females. What would be the immediate effect on male competition for reproductive success?

Short answer

The blue-throat male gets the advantage of reproductive success; they guard their mating individual within their territory.

Step-by-step solution

Lizard

The group of squamate reptiles commonly found in warmer and tropical climates, and having the ability to stay still for hours are called lizards.Some of the physical characteristics of lizards include sharp claws, four limbs, short neck, scaly-skinned reptiles, and long tails.

Diet of lizards consists of spiders, ants, termites, and small mammals. Few important functions performed by lizards in the ecosystem include controls of insect population and seed dispersal.

Infection

The microbial disorder in which germs (bacteria and viruses) enter within organisms' bodies to grow and damage their living cells is called infection.

Examples of infections commonly found in reptiles are mouth rot, ear infections, herpesvirus, and amebiasis. The signs of infection in reptiles are trouble in breathing, loss of muscle control, shell deterioration, listlessness, and lack of appetite.

Side-blotched lizard

The species of squamate that mainly reside in arid and semi-arid conditions and usually compete for mating with different-colored throats is called a side-blotched lizard.

The male population is lesser than the female side-blotched lizard.Infection is the main killer of male population. Three distinct male lizards, those with blue, orange, and yellow throats, get some advantage of reproductive success.

The females are limited within the territory of blue-throat males, and there will be a rising frequency of yellow-throat within the short term.