Background Information:
Twelve fire ants can kill a three-inch long fence lizard by prying open the reptiles' scales and stinging the soft flesh underneath with venom. They have also been known to strip animals as large as calves down to the bone.
Experiments done by Tracy Langkilde show that fence lizards with longer hind limbs and the ability to twitch could escape from fire ants because they are able to shake them off and flee faster. She discovered that longer hind limbs were more prevalent at birth in lizards from fire-ant exposed populations. She also noticed that lizards that had never been exposed to the ants just sat there and did nothing when placed near a fire ant mound compared to lizards from sites that had been invaded. Tracy did an experiment which showed that juvenile lizards from both the affected and non-affected sites responed to the ants. She thought it was because the ants posed a threat to all of them.
Experiments done by Tracy Langkilde show that fence lizards with longer hind limbs and the ability to twitch could escape from fire ants because they are able to shake them off and flee faster. She discovered that longer hind limbs were more prevalent at birth in lizards from fire-ant exposed populations. She also noticed that lizards that had never been exposed to the ants just sat there and did nothing when placed near a fire ant mound compared to lizards from sites that had been invaded. Tracy did an experiment which showed that juvenile lizards from both the affected and non-affected sites responed to the ants. She thought it was because the ants posed a threat to all of them.