Biology
Movements
The Dupont’s lark is a resident lizard in the Iberian Peninsula, remaining during the winter in the breeding areas. There are records of autumn dispersal, as well as of temperate escapes in populations with more severe climatic conditions. In adults, short movements and eventually longer distances, with maximum distance of movement in adults of 2 km and with a mean value of 100 m. There are records of juvenile movements of more than 30 km; this dispersal process may be crucial for the maintenance of isolated populations and for the preservation of the species at the metapopulation level.
Feeding
Insectivorous and, eventually, granivorous bird. The diet of nestlings is based on Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and spiders of the Lycosidae family. Recent studies on the diet of adults point to a consumption of coprophagous epigeal arthropods.
Reproductive biology
The breeding period of the Dupont’s lark runs from late February to early July in the Iberian Peninsula, with up to three breeding attempts. It nests on the ground, under a small shrub or herbaceous bush. Clutch size ranges from 3 to 5 eggs, with an incubation period of 12-13 days. The nestlings remain in the nest for 8 days, and their diet is based on Coleoptera and Lepidoptera larvae. Nest predation rates range from 46% to 84%. Secondary sex ratio is 0.5, showing an equal number of males and females in nestlings. The adult sex ratio is biased towards males with values between 0.61 and 0.79.
Interspecies interactions
The domestic cat (Felis catus), the fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) have been identified as predators of their nests. The parasites have not been studied much in the Dupont’s lark, although they could be common to those described in the rest of the aludids. The rate of infection by the malaria parasite is 9.8%.
Social pattern and behavior
Elusive, elusive behavior and typically terrestrial locomotion, concentrating the periods of greatest song activity during dawn and dusk. Species of marked territorial behavior, with occasional records in mixed flocks during the winter. Vital domain estimated at 7.4 ha, and core area at 3.6 ha. The vital domain differs between age-sex classes, between breeding and post-breeding periods, and shows high inter-annual variation. Highly variable spatial behavior, with records of movements 7-8 times higher than average. Species apparently monogamous, although it could be a social monogamy with extra-pair copulations.
