Some Lizards Smell Tougher Than Others

Some people may be able to smell a good fight. But some male lizards can smell a bad one too, giving the animals clues as to whether to stand their ground or turn tail, a new study suggest.

Male Iberian rock lizards secrete a cholesterol-laden scent from glands in their thighs that signals their fighting ability and social status, according to scientists reporting in the online edition of the journal Biology Letters last month.

The bigger, more dominant the lizard is, the more cholesterol he secretes.