. Bonner zoologische Beiträge : Herausgeber: Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn. Biology; Zoology. New data on the Hierro Giant lizard 457 During my stay in Gorreta, I did not observe any aggressive-defense territorial behaviour between specimens of the Giant lizard. The individuals I handled showed no aggression either, but simply struggled to try and escape24'. Adult males of stehlini open their jaw showing the reddish interior, and if intimidated, produce a strong and prolonged guttural "hkjkjkjkjkj . V Regarding sexual behaviour, I only recorded two obse
. Bonner zoologische Beiträge : Herausgeber: Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn. Biology; Zoology. New data on the Hierro Giant lizard 457 During my stay in Gorreta, I did not observe any aggressive-defense territorial behaviour between specimens of the Giant lizard. The individuals I handled showed no aggression either, but simply struggled to try and escape24'. Adult males of stehlini open their jaw showing the reddish interior, and if intimidated, produce a strong and prolonged guttural "hkjkjkjkjkj . V Regarding sexual behaviour, I only recorded two observations when — after visual contact — a male approached a female (from 1 — m). In the first case (see fig. 23) a touch of snouts took place and immediately the male disappeared followed by the female. In the other, the male touched the female's tail with its feet. The latter then climbed up and entered a crevice, reappearing one meter higher up on a ledge of the basalt wall. The male which was facing downward, began to bob the snout up and down on the spot where the female's tail had been (tongue was not put out), turned, and on repeating the head movements, followed the same path as the hidden female. When on the ledge top, he suddenly grasped transversally in his jaws a 4—5 cm twig(?) and moved out of sight (observed from 17 m below). The four females captured were inspected for mating-bite scars on the neck region without results. Böhme & Bischoff (1976) consider the side neck-bite as an important ethological character of Gallotia. To confront Bischoff's terrarium observation on the absence of ectoparasites (1974: 97) on Canarian lacertids, I can state the presence of mites on the Hierro Giant lizard, but I cannot confirm if they are the same as those frequently found, for instance, on wild Gallotia galloti. On the other hand, the use of the fore- limb he describes (Bischoff 1973) for Gallotia stehlini is confirmed in Hierro Giant lizard by the one observat
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