Seeing isn't believing: Quantitative colour measurement and you

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Authors

Lee, G.
Brunton-Martin, Amy
Baling, Marleen
Gaskett, A. G.

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2023-11

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Conference Contribution - Oral Presentation

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Aotearoa
New Zealand
lizards
perception of colour
fruit

Citation

Lee, G., Brunton-Martin, A., Baling, M., & Gaskett, A. G. (2023, November 13-16) Seeing isn't believing: Quantitative colour measurement and you [Paper presentation]. 19th Biennial SRARNZ Conference, Akaroa, New Zealand https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6378

Abstract

The colour vision of Aotearoa / New Zealand’s native lizards is of broad interest, with implications for their role as pollinators and fruit dispersers. I aim to investigate the relative importance of vision and scent in their attraction to different types of fruits. In this part of my study, I identify their colour preferences and consider the specific wavelengths that are visible to native lizards. Here I report on the various fruit colours that lizards may encounter in their native habitats, model how these fruits would look to a lizard, and how the different colours may contrast with the forest foliage. I collected quantitative measurements of the wavelengths reflected by fruits using a spectrometer. Each fruit reflectance were then mapped into a “lizard vision colour space” to examine vision biases that lizards may have towards specific colours, identify any differences between fruits that are not visible to humans, and determine how detectable these colours are in the first place. These quantitative results will be used in conjunction with behavioural trials using live animals to determine colour preferences in Aotearoa’s lizards. While there have been studies done previously in Aotearoa / New Zealand to determine preferred colours in lizards, none have looked at the particular wavelengths that are attractive. My study is an exciting first look into reptile colour vision modelling in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

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