Natural home range features of juvenile Uta stansburiana were measured and compared between socially dominant and subordinate individuals of size— and sex—matched pairs. Dominance was determined via paired encounters in laboratory, neutral arenas. Dominants originated from home ranges with significantly less dense croton and grass vegetation. Dominants showed a slight tendency to inhabit larger home ranges. Dominants' home ranges were significantly more diverse than subordinates' home ranges. A survivorship—based multivariate index of home range quality showed that dominants originated from home ranges of higher overall quality than those subordinates. Home ranges of dominant juveniles resembled home ranges of oversummer survivors of a previous study, and home ranges of subordinates resembled those of nonsurvivors. Subjects were introduced by pairs into outdoor pens with halves of disparate habitat quality. Dominants showed significantly greater occupation of the superior half than subordinates. Dominant juveniles, then, appear to inhabit home ranges different from subordinates; features of these home ranges may convey increased survivorship. The same dominant juveniles are more apt than subordinates to secure superior habitat in a novel situation.
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Fox et al. (1981) studied this question.
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