Advantages in exploring a new environment with the left eye in lizards

Lizards (_Podarcis muralis_) use preferentially the left eye during spatial exploration in binocular condition. Here we allowed 44 adult wild lizards to explore an unknown maze for 20 minutes under temporary monocular condition, recording their movements, particularly the direction of turns made while walking within the maze. Lizards with a patch on their right eye, i.e. using their left eye to monitor the environment, moved faster than lizards with a patch on their left eye when turning both leftward and rightward in a T-cross. Hence, right eye-patched lizards were faster than left eye-patched lizards also in turning right, although their right eye was covered. Thus lizards that could use the left eye / right hemisphere to attend spatial cues appeared to have more control and to be more prompt in exploring the maze. In addition, female lizards with the left eye covered stopped very frequently when reached crosses, showing a high level of indecision. Results confirm that Podarcis muralis lizards using the left eye only in exploring a new environment react faster and more efficiently than those using the right eye only in exploration. Hence lateralization of spatial stimuli mediated by the left eye / right hemisphere could provide advantage to this species.