Final answer:
Small male iguanas adapt to mating interruptions by ejaculating faster to ensure successful sperm transfer in the presence of competitive interference from larger males.
Step-by-step explanation:
In reptilian mating, especially among iguanas, when a male is interrupted during copulation, he may deal with this interference by ejaculating faster to ensure sperm transfer before the interruption leads to a cessation of mating. Such a strategy would be particularly useful for smaller iguanas that experience competition from larger, dominant males. In the case of side-blotched lizards, as an example, smaller males, which resemble females, are known to sneak copulations by quickly coupling with a female before a larger male can interrupt.
This adaptation can be understood as an evolutionary response to the pressures of sexual selection, where the ability to successfully transfer sperm despite the presence of competitors can increase a male's reproductive success. These smaller, more agile males exploit their ability to remain undetected or react quickly to ensure that their genes are passed on to the next generation. Their strategy is not the production of spermatophores to be picked up from the environment nor ejaculating prior to copulation to have sperm ready, but rather optimizing the limited opportunity they have to mate.