Circulus (zoology)

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A circulus is a rarely-occurring reptilian social order where there is interaction and personal exchange between members of a social group. Members will often protect and defend young - even if not of direct genetic linkage. Circulus is a latin based term; one definition of the word is "a social gathering or circle company".

Most reptiles are indifferent socially to each other as adults or to offspring. The female Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys) has been reported to guard a nest site for a short period after egg laying but this instinct is very short lived.

Among crocodilians and certain lizards (including members of the Genus Egernia, Trachydosaurus, and Corucia), there is a much greater interaction between members. Young will be guarded and defended for a considerable period of time. Crocodilians (male and female) will carry and assist young hatchlings to the water and guard them. The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) has to nudge young to the water because their teeth are too sharp to carry them. Subadult members of a crocodilian social group will often stand by a female laying eggs or retrieving young from a nest to keep predators away. In stump-tailed skinks (Genus: Trachydosaurus) and Solomon Islands skinks (Genus: Corucia), long term bonding of pairs with each other and other members has been recorded. In the case of Corucia, orphaned young have been observed being adopted into the circulus.

[edit] References

• Andrews,E.A; 1875. Latin-English Lexicon. Harper & Brothers publishers, 329 & 331 Pearl Street, Franklin Square, New York, U.S.A. 1663 pp.

• Bustard, H.R.; Moharana, S.; 1985. Captive Breeding of the Gharial (Gavalis gangetius-underlined). ASRA The Journal of the Association for the Study of Reptilia and Amphibia. 2(4): pp.23-45.

• Hauschild, Andree; Gassner, Paul; 1999. Corucia zebrata Der Wickelschwanzskink Terrarien Biblothek Natur und Tier - verlag 79 pp.

• Lewis Charleton; 1918. An Elementary Latin Dictionary. American Book Company, New York, U.S.A. 1029 pp.

• Page, George; 1983. Ganges Gharial. - Nature PBS Bedi films WNET

• Parker, F. 1983. The prehensile-tailed skink (Corucia zebrata) on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. In: Rhodin, A. & K. Miyata (eds.). Advances in Herpetology and Evolutionary Biology. Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge. pp. 435-440.

• Schnirel, Brian L.; Jones, Sherri L.; 2006. Measurements on Increase in Girth and weight in the Scincidae species: Corucia zebrata - underlined. Polyphemos, Florence, South Carolina, U.S.A. pp. 1-3