Lizard communication

[2] Communication may be physical, chemical, tactile, or vocal, and varies according to habitat, sexual selection practices, and predator avoidance methods.

Anolis cristatellus, for example, uses "pushup displays" as a pursuit-deterrent signal to predators, communicating that the anole is healthy and would likely be able to escape if pursued.

Vibrant colors and patterns can draw attention from predators or competition, so they may be located on a dewlap or an area of the body that is usually hidden, like the belly.

Such lizards sometimes drag their back legs or the lower half of their body against a surface to spread their chemical secretions.

[24] Once a chemical has been released onto a surface, it stays until washed away or otherwise removed, and lizards may come into contact with it hours or days later.

Chemosensory recognition is greater in males, as it allows them to identify specific females during breeding season and to recognize known neighbors and thus not perform anti-predator behaviors.

[9] Direct contact can occur in courtship, such as through nudging or licking, and in aggressive behavior—for many lizards, a fight may escalate to biting or bumping into one another.

Species that engage in physical conflict often only resort to direct contact when other methods of deterring potential rivals have failed.

In the case of courtship, some lizards, such as the male Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), lick females to determine whether they are sexually receptive.

This mode of communication is primarily limited to nocturnal geckos, many of which produce vocalizations during behavioral interactions such as male competition[2][36][37] or predator avoidance.