Female anoles display less but attack more quickly than males in response to territorial intrusions

Lay SummaryFemale brown anole lizards, which are smaller and often thought of as less aggressive than males, attack same-sex intruders more quickly. In species where males are larger, the typical assumption is that males are more aggressive. We found that males are slower to attack and use more displays before escalating to a physical fight. This is consistent with the idea that fighting may be risky for males because of their stronger jaws.