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Buchmiller NE, Weaver SJ, Bedard RE, Taylor EN, Moniz HA. Short communication: Storage time and temperature affect plasma osmolality values in field-collected blood samples. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2024; 295:111665. [PMID: 38762048 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
As climate change alters the hydric regime of many habitats, understanding the hydric physiology of animals becomes increasingly important. Plasma osmolality is a popular metric to assess an organism's hydration, but samples often need to be stored before being analyzed, under varying conditions and for different lengths of time. Previous studies on plasma storage conditions, and how they impact sample integrity, are minimal and have focused more on clinical applications than field studies. We studied the stability of osmolality values from wild rattlesnake plasma samples stored in commonly used plastic snap-cap tubes under different time (0, 2, 3, 7, 29 days) and temperature (refrigerated at 2 °C and frozen at -18 °C) treatments. We hypothesized that frozen samples would remain more stable (e.g., retain osmolality values more similar to baseline values) than refrigerated samples because freezing the plasma would reduce evaporation. We found that osmolality of samples increased over time at both temperatures, becoming significantly higher than baseline after 7 days. Contrary to our prediction, osmolality increased more in frozen samples than in refrigerated samples. We discuss possible reasons for our results, along with their implications. To obtain the most accurate plasma osmolality values, we recommend refrigerating plasma samples for as short a time as possible, 3 days or fewer, before analyzing them on an osmometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nemo E Buchmiller
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0411, United States of America
| | - Savannah J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0411, United States of America
| | - Robin E Bedard
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0411, United States of America
| | - Emily N Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0411, United States of America
| | - Haley A Moniz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0411, United States of America.
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2
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Mizsei E, Radovics D, Rák G, Budai M, Bancsik B, Szabolcs M, Sos T, Lengyel S. Alpine viper in changing climate: thermal ecology and prospects of a cold-adapted reptile in the warming Mediterranean. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18988. [PMID: 39152146 PMCID: PMC11329715 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69378-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
In a rapidly changing thermal environment, reptiles are primarily dependent on in situ adaptation because of their limited ability to disperse and the restricted opportunity to shift their ranges. However, the rapid pace of climate change may surpass these adaptation capabilities or elevate energy expenditures. Therefore, understanding the variability in thermal traits at both individual and population scales is crucial, offering insights into reptiles' vulnerability to climate change. We studied the thermal ecology of the endangered Greek meadow viper (Vipera graeca), an endemic venomous snake of fragmented alpine-subalpine meadows above 1600 m of the Pindos mountain range in Greece and Albania, to assess its susceptibility to anticipated changes in the alpine thermal environment. We measured preferred body temperature in artificial thermal gradient, field body temperatures of 74 individuals in five populations encompassing the entire geographic range of the species, and collected data on the available of temperatures for thermoregulation. We found that the preferred body temperature (Tp) differed only between the northernmost and the southernmost populations and increased with female body size but did not depend on sex or the gravidity status of females. Tp increased with latitude but was unaffected by the phylogenetic position of the populations. We also found high accuracy of thermoregulation in V. graeca populations and variation in the thermal quality of habitats throughout the range. The overall effectiveness of thermoregulation was high, indicating that V. graeca successfully achieves its target temperatures and exploits the thermal landscape. Current climatic conditions limit the activity period by an estimated 1278 h per year, which is expected to increase considerably under future climate scenarios. Restricted time available for thermoregulation, foraging and reproduction will represent a serious threat to the fitness of individuals and the persistence of populations in addition to habitat loss due to mining, tourism or skiing and habitat degradation due to overgrazing in the shrinking mountaintop habitats of V. graeca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edvárd Mizsei
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary.
- Kiskunság National Park Directorate, Kecskemét, Hungary.
- Institute of Metagenomics, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Dávid Radovics
- Kiskunság National Park Directorate, Kecskemét, Hungary
- Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gergő Rák
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mátyás Budai
- Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Barnabás Bancsik
- Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márton Szabolcs
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Sos
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Milvus Group Bird and Nature Protection Association, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
| | - Szabolcs Lengyel
- Conservation Ecology Research Group, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Biodiversity, Climate Change and Water Management Coordination Research Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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3
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Roseno RS, Filho LMC, Diele-Viegas LM, de Carvalho BT, Solé M. Different approaches to understanding methodological adequacy in ecophysiological studies on small ectotherms. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2024; 297:111726. [PMID: 39122106 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 08/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Body temperature (Tb) variation and environmental temperature gradients are more intense in small individuals because their body size allows for a more intimate relationship between Tb and the environment. To contribute to a methodological consensus on the ecophysiology of small ectotherms, we aimed to investigate whether different approaches and methodological techniques affect the measurement of critical temperatures in a small lizard (Coleodactylus meridionalis, Sphaerodactylidae) from the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, Brazil, and subsequently its vulnerability assessment. We measured two metrics of thermal physiology: critical thermal minimum (CTmin) and critical thermal maximum (CTmax). In total, four types of temperature measurements (protocols) were defined. In the first protocol, we estimated CTmax/CTmin without heating/cooling rate by directly measuring the lizard's midbody temperature. In the other three protocols, we used a ramping assay with a heating/cooling rate to estimate CTmax/CTmin in the chamber (height: 11.3 cm), substrate, and Tb of the lizard, respectively. In total 116 individuals of Coleodactylus meridionalis were collected, of which 177 CTmax and 131 CTmin were performed. C. meridionalis showed a mean CTmax of 41 °C and a mean CTmin of 8.9 °C when considering the Tb protocol, which is intermediate compared to the other protocols. The substrate temperature protocol was the closest to Tb, and for this, the best method for the small lizards using an infrared thermometer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaella Silva Roseno
- Graduate Program in Zoology, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, 45662-900 Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil; Tropical Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, 45662-900 Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil; Laboratory of (Bio)diversity in the Anthropocene, Biology Institute, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 1154, R. Barão de Jeremoabo, 668, 40170-115 Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Leildo Machado Carilo Filho
- Tropical Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, 45662-900 Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. https://twitter.com/CariloLeildo
| | - Luisa Maria Diele-Viegas
- Laboratory of (Bio)diversity in the Anthropocene, Biology Institute, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 1154, R. Barão de Jeremoabo, 668, 40170-115 Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. https://twitter.com/luisaviegas
| | - Bruno Teixeira de Carvalho
- Graduate Program in Zoology, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, 45662-900 Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil; Tropical Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, 45662-900 Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. https://twitter.com/Brunocarvalhoi
| | - Mirco Solé
- Tropical Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Rodovia Jorge Amado, Km 16, 45662-900 Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil; Museum Koenig Bonn, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany.
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Ma L, Wu DY, Wang Y, Hall JM, Mi CR, Xie HX, Tao WJ, Hou C, Cheng KM, Zhang YP, Wang JC, Lu HL, Du WG, Sun BJ. Collective effects of rising average temperatures and heat events on oviparous embryos. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14266. [PMID: 38578127 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Survival of the immobile embryo in response to rising temperature is important to determine a species' vulnerability to climate change. However, the collective effects of 2 key thermal characteristics associated with climate change (i.e., rising average temperature and acute heat events) on embryonic survival remain largely unexplored. We used empirical measurements and niche modeling to investigate how chronic and acute heat stress independently and collectively influence the embryonic survival of lizards across latitudes. We collected and bred lizards from 5 latitudes and incubated their eggs across a range of temperatures to quantify population-specific responses to chronic and acute heat stress. Using an embryonic development model parameterized with measured embryonic heat tolerances, we further identified a collective impact of embryonic chronic and acute heat tolerances on embryonic survival. We also incorporated embryonic chronic and acute heat tolerance in hybrid species distribution models to determine species' range shifts under climate change. Embryos' tolerance of chronic heat (T-chronic) remained consistent across latitudes, whereas their tolerance of acute heat (T-acute) was higher at high latitudes than at low latitudes. Tolerance of acute heat exerted a more pronounced influence than tolerance of chronic heat. In species distribution models, climate change led to the most significant habitat loss for each population and species in its low-latitude distribution. Consequently, habitat for populations across all latitudes will shift toward high latitudes. Our study also highlights the importance of considering embryonic survival under chronic and acute heat stresses to predict species' vulnerability to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dan-Yang Wu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Joshua M Hall
- Department of Biology, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Chun-Rong Mi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Xin Xie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-Jie Tao
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chao Hou
- School of Science, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kun-Ming Cheng
- Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Ministry of Education, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Yong-Pu Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Ji-Chao Wang
- Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Ministry of Education, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, China
| | - Hong-Liang Lu
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bao-Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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5
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Figueroa-Huitrón R, Díaz de la Vega-Pérez A, Plasman M, Pérez-Mendoza HA. Physiological thermal responses of three Mexican snakes with distinct lifestyles. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17705. [PMID: 39040933 PMCID: PMC11262299 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The impact of temperature on reptile physiology has been examined through two main parameters: locomotor performance and metabolic rates. Among reptiles, different species may respond to environmental temperatures in distinct ways, depending on their thermal sensitivity. Such variation can be linked to the ecological lifestyle of the species and needs to be taken into consideration when assessing the thermal influence on physiology. This is particularly relevant for snakes, which are a very functionally diverse group. In this study, our aim was to analyze the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in three snake species from central Mexico (Crotalus polystictus, Conopsis lineata, and Thamnophis melanogaster), highlighting how it is influenced by their distinctive behavioral and ecological traits. We tested both physiological parameters in five thermal treatments: 15 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 33 °C, and 36 °C. Using the performance data, we developed thermal performance curves (TPCs) for each species and analyzed the RMR data using generalized linear mixed models. The optimal temperature for locomotion of C. polystictus falls near its critical thermal maximum, suggesting that it can maintain performance at high temperatures but with a narrow thermal safety margin. T. melanogaster exhibited the fastest swimming speeds and the highest mass-adjusted RMR. This aligns with our expectations since it is an active forager, a high energy demand mode. The three species have a wide performance breadth, which suggests that they are thermal generalists that can maintain performance over a wide interval of temperatures. This can be beneficial to C. lineata in its cold habitat, since such a characteristic has been found to allow some species to maintain adequate performance levels in suboptimal temperatures. RMR increased along with temperature, but the proportional surge was not uniform since thermal sensitivity measured through Q10 increased at the low and high thermal treatments. High Q10 at low temperatures could be an adaptation to maintain favorable performance in suboptimal temperatures, whereas high Q10 at high temperatures could facilitate physiological responses to heat stress. Overall, our results show different physiological adaptations of the three species to the environments they inhabit. Their different activity patterns and foraging habits are closely linked to these adaptations. Further studies of other populations with different climatic conditions would provide valuable information to complement our current understanding of the effect of environmental properties on snake physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Figueroa-Huitrón
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Anibal Díaz de la Vega-Pérez
- Consejo Nacional de Humanidades Ciencias y Tecnologías-Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Melissa Plasman
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Hibraim Adán Pérez-Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, UNAM, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, Mexico
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6
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Hediger JA, Spencer BD, Rice MF, Hopper ML, DeYoung RW, Ortega-Santos JA, Fulbright TE, Hewitt DG, Foley AM, Schofield LR, Campbell TA, Sheriff MJ, Cherry MJ. Physiological carry-over effects of variable precipitation are mediated by reproductive status in a long-lived ungulate. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae045. [PMID: 38974502 PMCID: PMC11224986 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
In the age of global climate change, extreme climatic events are expected to increase in frequency and severity. Animals will be forced to cope with these novel stressors in their environment. Glucocorticoids (i.e. 'stress' hormones) facilitate an animal's ability to cope with their environment. To date, most studies involving glucocorticoids focus on the immediate physiological effects of an environmental stressor on an individual, few studies have investigated the long-term physiological impacts of such stressors. Here, we tested the hypothesis that previous exposure to an environmental stressor will impart lasting consequences to an individual's glucocorticoid levels. In semi-arid environments, variable rainfall drives forage availability for herbivores. Reduced seasonal precipitation can present an extreme environmental stressor potentially imparting long-term impacts on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. We examined the effects of rainfall and environmental characteristics (i.e. soil and vegetation attributes) during fawn-rearing (i.e. summer) on subsequent glucocorticoid levels of female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in autumn. We captured 124 adult (≥2.5-year-old) female deer via aerial net-gunning during autumn of 2015, 2016 and 2021 across four populations spanning a gradient of environmental characteristics and rainfall in the semi-arid environment of South Texas, USA. We found for every 1 cm decrease in summer rainfall, faecal glucocorticoid levels in autumn increased 6.9%, but only in lactating females. Glucocorticoid levels in non-lactating, female deer were relatively insensitive to environmental conditions. Our study demonstrates the long-lasting effects of environmental stressors on an individual's glucocorticoid levels. A better understanding of the long-term effects stressors impart on an individual's glucocorticoid levels will help to evaluate the totality of the cost of a stressor to an individual's welfare and predict the consequences of future climate scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Hediger
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Bryan D Spencer
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Michaela F Rice
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road North, Saint Paul, MN 55155, USA
| | - Miranda L Hopper
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Randy W DeYoung
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - J Alfonso Ortega-Santos
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Timothy E Fulbright
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - David G Hewitt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Aaron M Foley
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
| | - Landon R Schofield
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
| | - Tyler A Campbell
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Michael J Cherry
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University –Kingsville, 700 University Boulevard, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA
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Dowling J, Bower DS, Nordberg EJ. Overwintering under ice: A novel observation for an Australian freshwater turtle. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11578. [PMID: 39011131 PMCID: PMC11247112 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Frozen water bodies provide a physiological challenge to fauna by physically limiting access to atmospheric oxygen. To tolerate low temperatures, reptiles use brumation as a physiological strategy in winter. Cryptodira vary in their tolerance to freezing conditions but the extent of tolerance in pleurodirans is largely unknown. Australia's freshwater turtles inhabit warmer regions with less severe winters and have well-developed mechanisms to cope with high temperatures and drying waterbodies, rather than extreme cold tolerance. Chelodina longicollis is a widespread Australian freshwater turtle species that tolerates high temperatures and desiccation during hot, dry periods while also undergoing brumation during winter months. Despite extensive research, limited observations exist on their behaviour during severe winter periods at the extremes of their range. In an 11-month tracking study, we monitored adult C. longicollis, noting their movements, locations, and temperature weekly. We observed an adult female C. longicollis which, during a seven-month period within a single creek pool, survived brumation in extreme cold water including a 15-day period of total freezing of the surface water. After the ice melted following a rain event, the turtle was recaptured alive. This marks the first observation of brumation for an Australian chelid species under ice.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Dowling
- School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Deborah S. Bower
- School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Eric J. Nordberg
- School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNew South WalesAustralia
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Schmidt R, Zummach C, Sinai N, Sabino‐Pinto J, Künzel S, Dausmann KH, Ruthsatz K. Physiological responses to a changing winter climate in an early spring-breeding amphibian. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70042. [PMID: 39050662 PMCID: PMC11267634 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change is swiftly altering environmental winter conditions, leading to significant ecological impacts such as phenological shifts in many species. As a result, animals might face physiological mismatches due to longer or earlier activity periods and are at risk of being exposed to late spring freezes. Our study points for the first time to the complex physiological challenges that amphibians face as a result of changing thermal conditions due to winter climate change. We investigated the physiological responses to a period of warmer winter days and sudden spring freeze in the common toad (Bufo bufo) by acclimating them to 4°C or 8°C for 48 h or exposing them to 4°C or -2°C for 6 h, respectively. We assessed the daily energy demands, determined body condition and cold tolerance, explored the molecular responses to freezing through hepatic tissue transcriptome analysis, and measured blood glucose levels. Toads acclimated to higher temperatures showed a higher daily energy expenditure and a reduced cold tolerance suggesting faster depletion of energy stores and the loss of winter acclimation during warmer winters. Blood sugar levels were higher in frozen toads indicating the mobilization of cryoprotective glucose with freezing which was further supported by changed patterns in proteins related to glucose metabolism. Overall, our results emphasize that increased thermal variability incurs physiological costs that may reduce energy reserves and thus affect amphibian health and survival. This might pose a serious threat to breeding adults and may have subsequent effects at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Schmidt
- Zoological InstituteTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Cecile Zummach
- Institute of Cell and System BiologyUniversität HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Noa Sinai
- Institute of Cell and System BiologyUniversität HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Joana Sabino‐Pinto
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenthe Netherlands
| | - Sven Künzel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPloenGermany
| | | | - Katharina Ruthsatz
- Zoological InstituteTechnische Universität BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
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Niu Z, Pu P, Zhang T, Jia L, Li X, Wang H, Ma M, Tang X, Chen Q. Effects of warming at embryonic and larval stages on tadpole fitness in high-altitude Rana kukunoris. J Therm Biol 2024; 123:103895. [PMID: 38996476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Global warming may affect the early developmental stages of high-altitude amphibians, thereby influencing their later fitness. Yet, this has been largely unexplored. To investigate whether and how the temperatures experienced by embryonic and larval stages affect their fitness at later developmental stages, we designed two experiments in which the embryos and larvae were treated with three temperatures (24, 18 and 12 °C), respectively. Then, the life history traits of the tadpoles during the metamorphotic climax in all treatments were evaluated, including growth rate, survival rate, morphology, thermal physiology, swimming performance, standard metabolic rate (SMR), oxidative and antioxidative system, and metabolic enzyme activities. The results revealed that elevated temperature accelerated metamorphosis but decreased body size at metamorphosis. Additionally, warming during the embryonic and larval stages decreased the thermal tolerance range and induced increased oxidative stress. Furthermore, high embryonic temperature significantly decreased the hatching success, but had no significant effect on swimming performance and SMR. Warming during larval periods was harmful to the survival and swimming performance of tadpoles. The effect size analysis revealed that the negative impacts of embryonic temperature on certain physiological traits, such as growth and development, survival and swimming performance, were more pronounced than those of larval temperature. Our results highlight the necessity for particular attention to be paid to the early stages of amphibians, notably the embryonic stages when evaluating the impact of global warming on their survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Niu
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China
| | - Peng Pu
- School of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China
| | - Lun Jia
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China
| | - Xinying Li
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- School of Stomatology, Lanzhou University, No. 199, Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, China
| | - Miaojun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-Ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China.
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Animal and Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, No. 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730000, China
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10
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Stellatelli OA, Bonavita MI, Victorel C, Gómez Alés R, Moreno Azócar DL, Block C, Cruz FB. Thermo-physiological changes and reproductive investment in a liolaemid lizard at the extreme of the slow-fast continuum. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247506. [PMID: 38826150 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Gravid female lizards often experience reduced thermal preferences and impaired locomotor performance. These changes have been attributed to the physical burden of the clutch, but some authors have suggested that they may be due to physiological adjustments. We compared the thermal biology and locomotor performance of the lizard Liolaemus wiegmannii 1 week before and 1 week after oviposition. We found that gravid females had a thermal preference 1°C lower than that of non-gravid females. This was accompanied by a change in the thermal dependence of maximum running speed. The thermal optimum for locomotor performance was 2.6°C lower before oviposition than after. At relatively low temperatures (22 and 26°C), running speeds of females before oviposition were up to 31% higher than for females after oviposition. However, at temperatures above 26°C, females achieved similar maximum running speeds (∼1.5 m s-1) regardless of reproductive stage. The magnitude of the changes in thermal parameters and locomotor performance of L. wiegmannii females was independent of relative clutch mass (clutches weighed up to 89% of post-oviposition body mass). This suggests that the changes are not simply due to the clutch mass, but are also due to physiological adjustments. Liolaemus wiegmannii females simultaneously adjusted their own physiology in a short period in order to improve locomotor performance and allocated energy for embryonic development during late gravid stage. Our findings have implications for understanding the mechanisms underlying life histories of lizards on the fast extreme of the slow-fast continuum, where physiological exhaustion could play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar A Stellatelli
- Grupo Vertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, B7602AYJ Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauro I Bonavita
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Candela Victorel
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET San Juan, J5400ARL San Juan, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Débora L Moreno Azócar
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Carolina Block
- Grupo Vertebrados, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, B7602AYJ Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Félix B Cruz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y ́ Técnicas - Universidad Nacional del Comahue, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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11
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Cordero GA, Balk ML, Pérez-González CE, Solberg LM, Doody JS, Plummer MV, Janzen FJ. Geographic variation in incubation temperatures promoting viable offspring production in broadly co-distributed turtles. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:509-524. [PMID: 38436056 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Organisms whose early life stages are environmentally sensitive produce offspring within a relatively narrow range of suitable abiotic conditions. In reptiles, development rate and survival are often maximized if incubation temperatures remain under 31°C, though this upper bound may vary within and among species. We addressed this expectation by comparing responses to egg incubation at 30°C versus 33°C in congeneric turtle species pairs with broad syntopic geographic distributions. In the two softshell turtles (Apalone spp.), the greatest changes in development rate and phenotypic variance were observed in the northernmost population, which had a low survival rate (40%) at 33°C. The presumably suboptimal temperature (33°C) for northern populations otherwise yielded 76%-93% survival rates and fast swimming speeds in more southern populations. Still, in one species, northern hatchlings incubated at 33°C matched the elevated speeds of their southern counterparts, revealing a countergradient response. In northern populations of the two map turtles (Graptemys spp.), survival was also reduced (28%-60%) at 33°C and the development rate (relative to 30°C) increased by up to 75%. Our experiments on divergent taxa with similar nesting ecologies substantiate that the optimal thermal range for offspring production is variable. These findings encourage further work on how population- and species-level differences relate to local adaptation in widely distributed oviparous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo A Cordero
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Michelle L Balk
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - César E Pérez-González
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Lisa M Solberg
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jeremiah Sean Doody
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida-St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
| | | | - Fredric J Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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12
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Weaver SJ, Axsom IJ, Peria L, McIntyre T, Chung J, Telemeco RS, Westphal MF, Taylor EN. Hydric physiology and ecology of a federally endangered desert lizard. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 12:coae019. [PMID: 38715929 PMCID: PMC11074591 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coae019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Animals can respond to extreme climates by behaviourally avoiding it or by physiologically coping with it. We understand behavioural and physiological thermoregulation, but water balance has largely been neglected. Climate change includes both global warming and changes in precipitation regimes, so improving our understanding of organismal water balance is increasingly urgent. We assessed the hydric physiology of US federally endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizards (Gambelia sila) by measuring cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL), plasma osmolality and body condition. Measurements were taken throughout their active season, the short period of year when these lizards can be found aboveground. Compared to a more mesic species, G. sila had low CEWL which is potentially desert-adaptive, and high plasma osmolality that could be indicative of dehydration. We hypothesized that throughout the G. sila active season, as their habitat got hotter and drier, G. sila would become more dehydrated and watertight. Instead, CEWL and plasma osmolality showed minimal change for females and non-linear change for males, which we hypothesize is connected to sex-specific reproductive behaviours and changes in food availability. We also measured thermoregulation and microhabitat use, expecting that more dehydrated lizards would have lower body temperature, poorer thermoregulatory accuracy and spend less time aboveground. However, we found no effect of CEWL, plasma osmolality or body condition on these thermal and behavioural metrics. Finally, G. sila spends considerable time belowground in burrows, and burrows may serve not only as essential thermal refugia but also hydric refugia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah J Weaver
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Fisher Science, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Ian J Axsom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Fisher Science, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Lindsay Peria
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Fisher Science, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Tess McIntyre
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Fisher Science, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Justin Chung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Fisher Science, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Rory S Telemeco
- Department of Conservation Science, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, 894 W Belmont Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University, Fresno, 2555 East San Ramon Ave, Fresno, CA 93740, USA
| | - Michael F Westphal
- Central Coast Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 940 2nd Avenue, Marina, CA 93933, USA
| | - Emily N Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Fisher Science, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
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13
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Miloch D, Cecchetto NR, Lescano JN, Leynaud GC, Perotti MG. Is thermal sensitivity affected by predation risk? A case study in tadpoles from ephemeral environments. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:400-409. [PMID: 38356256 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Changes in environmental temperature may induce variations in thermal tolerance and sensitivity in ectotherm organisms. These variations generate plastic responses that can be analyzed by examining their Thermal Performance Curves (TPCs). Additionally, some performance traits, like locomotion, could be affected by other factors such as biological interactions (e.g., predator-prey interaction). Here, we evaluate if the risk of predation modifies TPCs in Mendoza four-eyed frog (Pleurodema nebulosum, Burmeister, 1861) and Guayapa's four-eyed frog (Pleurodema guayapae, Barrio, 1964), two amphibian species that occur in ephemeral ponds in arid environments. We measured thermal tolerances and maximum swimming velocity at six different temperatures in tadpoles under three situations: control, exposure to predator chemical cues, and exposure to conspecific alarm cues. TPCs were fitted using General Additive Mixed Models. We found that curves of tadpoles at risk of predation differed from those of control mainly in thermal sensitivity parameters. Our work confirms the importance of biotic interactions have in thermal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Miloch
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Nicolas R Cecchetto
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Julián N Lescano
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Gerardo C Leynaud
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas, y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Gabriela Perotti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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14
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Bock DG, Baeckens S, Kolbe JJ, Losos JB. When adaptation is slowed down: Genomic analysis of evolutionary stasis in thermal tolerance during biological invasion in a novel climate. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17075. [PMID: 37489260 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Research conducted during the past two decades has demonstrated that biological invasions are excellent models of rapid evolution. Even so, characteristics of invasive populations such as a short time for recombination to assemble optimal combinations of alleles may occasionally limit adaptation to new environments. Here, we investigated such genetic constraints to adaptation in the invasive brown anole (Anolis sagrei)-a tropical ectotherm that was introduced to the southeastern United States, a region with a much colder climate than in its native Caribbean range. We examined thermal physiology for 30 invasive populations and tested for a climatic cline in cold tolerance. Also, we used genomics to identify mechanisms that may limit adaptation. We found no support for a climatic cline, indicating that thermal tolerance did not shift adaptively. Concomitantly, population genomic results were consistent with the occurrence of recombination cold spots that comprise more than half of the genome and maintain long-range associations among alleles in invasive populations. These genomic regions overlap with both candidate thermal tolerance loci that we identified using a standard genome-wide association test. Moreover, we found that recombination cold spots do not have a large contribution to population differentiation in the invasive range, contrary to observations in the native range. We suggest that limited recombination is constraining the contribution of large swaths of the genome to adaptation in invasive brown anoles. Our study provides an example of evolutionary stasis during invasion and highlights the possibility that reduced recombination occasionally slows down adaptation in invasive populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan G Bock
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Simon Baeckens
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jason J Kolbe
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jonathan B Losos
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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15
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Souza-Oliveira AF, Zuquim G, Martins LF, Bandeira LN, Diele-Viegas LM, Cavalcante VH, Baccaro F, Colli GR, Tuomisto H, Werneck FP. The role of environmental gradients and microclimates in structuring communities and functional groups of lizards in a rainforest-savanna transition area. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16986. [PMID: 38685936 PMCID: PMC11057429 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental heterogeneity poses a significant influence on the functional characteristics of species and communities at local scales. Environmental transition zones, such as at the savanna-forest borders, can act as regions of ecological tension when subjected to sharp variations in the microclimate. For ectothermic organisms, such as lizards, environmental temperatures directly influence physiological capabilities, and some species use different thermoregulation strategies that produce varied responses to local climatic conditions, which in turn affect species occurrence and community dynamics. In the context of global warming, these various strategies confer different types of vulnerability as well as risks of extinction. To assess the vulnerability of a species and understand the relationships between environmental variations, thermal tolerance of a species and community structure, lizard communities in forest-savanna transition areas of two national parks in the southwestern Amazon were sampled and their thermal functional traits were characterized. Then, we investigated how community structure and functional thermal variation were shaped by two environmental predictors (i.e., microclimates estimated locally and vegetation structure estimated from remote sensing). It was found that the community structure was more strongly predicted by the canopy surface reflectance values obtained via remote sensing than by microclimate variables. Environmental temperatures were not the most important factor affecting the occurrence of species, and the variations in ecothermal traits demonstrated a pattern within the taxonomic hierarchy at the family level. This pattern may indicate a tendency for evolutionary history to indirectly influence these functional features. Considering the estimates of the thermal tolerance range and warming tolerance, thermoconformer lizards are likely to be more vulnerable and at greater risk of extinction due to global warming than thermoregulators. The latter, more associated with open environments, seem to take advantage of their lower vulnerability and occur in both habitat types across the transition, potentially out-competing and further increasing the risk of extinction and vulnerability of forest-adapted thermoconformer lizards in these transitional areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan F. Souza-Oliveira
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazonia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Zuquim
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Lidia F. Martins
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazonia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Lucas N. Bandeira
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazonia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | | | | | - Fabricio Baccaro
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Guarino Rinaldi Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Hanna Tuomisto
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Fernanda P. Werneck
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazonia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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16
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Giacometti D, Palaoro AV, Leal LC, de Barros FC. How seasonality influences the thermal biology of lizards with different thermoregulatory strategies: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:409-429. [PMID: 37872698 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Ectotherms that maintain thermal balance in the face of varying climates should be able to colonise a wide range of habitats. In lizards, thermoregulation usually appears as a variety of behaviours that buffer external influences over physiology. Basking species rely on solar radiation to raise body temperatures and usually show high thermoregulatory precision. By contrast, species that do not bask are often constrained by climatic conditions in their habitats, thus having lower thermoregulatory precision. While much focus has been given to the effects of mean habitat temperatures, relatively less is known about how seasonality affects the thermal biology of lizards on a macroecological scale. Considering the current climate crisis, assessing how lizards cope with temporal variations in environmental temperature is essential to understand better how these organisms will fare under climate change. Activity body temperatures (Tb ) represent the internal temperature of an animal measured in nature during its active period (i.e. realised thermal niche), and preferred body temperatures (Tpref ) are those selected by an animal in a laboratory thermal gradient that lacks thermoregulatory costs (i.e. fundamental thermal niche). Both traits form the bulk of thermal ecology research and are often studied in the context of seasonality. In this study, we used a meta-analysis to test how environmental temperature seasonality influences the seasonal variation in the Tb and Tpref of lizards that differ in thermoregulatory strategy (basking versus non-basking). Based on 333 effect sizes from 137 species, we found that Tb varied over a greater magnitude than Tpref across seasons. Variations in Tb were not influenced by environmental temperature seasonality; however, body size and thermoregulatory strategy mediated Tb responses. Specifically, larger species were subjected to greater seasonal variations in Tb , and basking species endured greater seasonal variations in Tb compared to non-basking species. On the other hand, the seasonal variation in Tpref increased with environmental temperature seasonality regardless of body size. Thermoregulatory strategy also influenced Tpref , suggesting that behaviour has an important role in mediating Tpref responses to seasonal variations in the thermal landscape. After controlling for phylogenetic effects, we showed that Tb and Tpref varied significantly across lizard families. Taken together, our results support the notion that the relationship between thermal biology responses and climatic parameters can be taxon and trait dependent. Our results also showcase the importance of considering ecological and behavioural aspects in macroecological studies. We further highlight current systematic, geographical, and knowledge gaps in thermal ecology research. Our work should benefit those who aim to understand more fully how seasonality shapes thermal biology in lizards, ultimately contributing to the goal of elucidating the evolution of temperature-sensitive traits in ectotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Giacometti
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Alexandre V Palaoro
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
- Department of Material Sciences and Engineering, 490 Sirrine Hall, Clemson University, 515 Calhoun Dr, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão Trav. 14, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brasil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos 100, Curitiba, Paraná, 82590-300, Brasil
| | - Laura C Leal
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
| | - Fábio C de Barros
- Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Artur Riedel 275, Diadema, São Paulo, 09972-270, Brasil
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Avenida Juca Stockler 1130, Passos, Minas Gerais, 37900-106, Brasil
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17
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Spears S, Pettit C, Berkowitz S, Collier S, Colwell C, Livingston EH, McQueen W, Vaughn PL, Bodensteiner BL, Leos-Barajas V, Gangloff EJ. Lizards in the wind: The impact of wind on the thermoregulation of the common wall lizard. J Therm Biol 2024; 121:103855. [PMID: 38648702 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sierra Spears
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA.
| | - Ciara Pettit
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| | - Sophie Berkowitz
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simone Collier
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cece Colwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| | - Ethan H Livingston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| | - Wyatt McQueen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| | - Princeton L Vaughn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Vianey Leos-Barajas
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
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18
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Rutschmann A, Perry C, Le Galliard JF, Dupoué A, Lourdais O, Guillon M, Brusch G, Cote J, Richard M, Clobert J, Miles DB. Ecological responses of squamate reptiles to nocturnal warming. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:598-621. [PMID: 38062628 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Nocturnal temperatures are increasing at a pace exceeding diurnal temperatures in most parts of the world. The role of warmer nocturnal temperatures in animal ecology has received scant attention and most studies focus on diurnal or daily descriptors of thermal environments' temporal trends. Yet, available evidence from plant and insect studies suggests that organisms can exhibit contrasting physiological responses to diurnal and nocturnal warming. Limiting studies to diurnal trends can thus result in incomplete and misleading interpretations of the ability of species to cope with global warming. Although they are expected to be impacted by warmer nocturnal temperatures, insufficient data are available regarding the night-time ecology of vertebrate ectotherms. Here, we illustrate the complex effects of nocturnal warming on squamate reptiles, a keystone group of vertebrate ectotherms. Our review includes discussion of diurnal and nocturnal ectotherms, but we mainly focus on diurnal species for which nocturnal warming affects a period dedicated to physiological recovery, and thus may perturb activity patterns and energy balance. We first summarise the physical consequences of nocturnal warming on habitats used by squamate reptiles. Second, we describe how such changes can alter the energy balance of diurnal species. We illustrate this with empirical data from the asp viper (Vipera aspis) and common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), two diurnal species found throughout western Europe. Third, we make use of a mechanistic approach based on an energy-balance model to draw general conclusions about the effects of nocturnal temperatures. Fourth, we examine how warmer nights may affect squamates over their lifetime, with potential consequences on individual fitness and population dynamics. We review quantitative evidence for such lifetime effects using recent data derived from a range of studies on the European common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). Finally, we consider the broader eco-evolutionary ramifications of nocturnal warming and highlight several research questions that require future attention. Our work emphasises the importance of considering the joint influence of diurnal and nocturnal warming on the responses of vertebrate ectotherms to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Rutschmann
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS UAR2029, 02 route du CNRS, Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Constant Perry
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS UAR2029, 02 route du CNRS, Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7618, IRD, INRAE, Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement (iEES Paris), Tours 44-45, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, 75005, France
- Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de Recherche en écologie expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), 78 rue du château, Saint-Pierre-Lès-Nemours, 77140, France
| | - Andréaz Dupoué
- Ifremer, Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, UMR 6539, LEMAR, 1625 Rte de Sainte-Anne, Plouzané, 29280, France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UMR 7372-Université de La Rochelle, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79630, France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Life Sciences Center Building, 427E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ, 85281, USA
| | - Michaël Guillon
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UMR 7372-Université de La Rochelle, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79630, France
- Cistude Nature, Chemin du Moulinat-33185, Le Haillan, France
| | - George Brusch
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University San Marcos, 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos, CA, 92096, USA
| | - Julien Cote
- Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB), UMR5174, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, CNRS, IRD, 118 Rte de Narbonne, Toulouse, 31077, France
| | - Murielle Richard
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS UAR2029, 02 route du CNRS, Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS UAR2029, 02 route du CNRS, Moulis, 09200, France
| | - Donald B Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, 131 Life Science Building, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
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19
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Arslan D, Akdağ B, Yaşar Ç, Olivier A, Benedetti Y, Morelli F, Çiçek K. An extensive database on the traits and occurrences of amphibian species in Turkey. Sci Data 2024; 11:292. [PMID: 38486028 PMCID: PMC10940290 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-03101-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are the most endangered taxa among vertebrates, and they face many threats during their complex life cycles. The species' life history traits and occurrence database help understand species responses against ecological factors. Consequently, the species-level-trait database has gained more prominence in recent years as a useful tool for understanding the dimensions of communities, assembly processes of communities, and conserving biodiversity at the ecosystem level against environmental changes. However, in Turkey, there are deficiencies in the knowledge of the ecological traits of amphibians compared to other vertebrate taxa, as most studies have focused on their distribution or taxonomic status. Consequently, there is a need to create such a database for future research on all known extant amphibians in Turkey. We compiled a species-level data set of species traits and occurrences for all amphibians in Turkey using 436 literature sources. We completed 36 trait categories with 5611 occurrence data for 37 amphibian species in Turkey. This study provides an open, useful, and comprehensive database for macroecological and conservation studies on amphibians in Turkey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilara Arslan
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague, 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Burak Akdağ
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Çağdaş Yaşar
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Anthony Olivier
- Tour du Valat, Institut de Recherche pour la Conservation des Zones Humides Méditerranéennes, Le Sambuc, 13200, Arles, France
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague, 6, Czech Republic
| | - Federico Morelli
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague, 6, Czech Republic
| | - Kerim Çiçek
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
- Natural History Application and Research Centre, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
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20
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Alujević K, Bakewell L, Clifton IT, Cox CL, Frishkoff LO, Gangloff EJ, Garcia-Costoya G, Gifford ME, Glenwinkel M, Gulati SAK, Head A, Miles M, Pettit C, Watson CM, Wuthrich KL, Logan ML. 3D printed models are an accurate, cost-effective, and reproducible tool for quantifying terrestrial thermal environments. J Therm Biol 2024; 119:103762. [PMID: 38071898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Predicting ecological responses to rapid environmental change has become one of the greatest challenges of modern biology. One of the major hurdles in forecasting these responses is accurately quantifying the thermal environments that organisms experience. The distribution of temperatures available within an organism's habitat is typically measured using data loggers called operative temperature models (OTMs) that are designed to mimic certain properties of heat exchange in the focal organism. The gold standard for OTM construction in studies of terrestrial ectotherms has been the use of copper electroforming which creates anatomically accurate models that equilibrate quickly to ambient thermal conditions. However, electroformed models require the use of caustic chemicals, are often brittle, and their production is expensive and time intensive. This has resulted in many researchers resorting to the use of simplified OTMs that can yield substantial measurement errors. 3D printing offers the prospect of robust, easily replicated, morphologically accurate, and cost-effective OTMs that capture the benefits but alleviate the problems associated with electroforming. Here, we validate the use of OTMs that were 3D printed using several materials across eight lizard species of different body sizes and living in habitats ranging from deserts to tropical forests. We show that 3D printed OTMs have low thermal inertia and predict the live animal's equilibration temperature with high accuracy across a wide range of body sizes and microhabitats. Finally, we developed a free online repository and database of 3D scans (https://www.3dotm.org/) to increase the accessibility of this tool to researchers around the world and facilitate ease of production of 3D printed models. 3D printing of OTMs is generalizable to taxa beyond lizards. If widely adopted, this approach promises greater accuracy and reproducibility in studies of terrestrial thermal ecology and should lead to improved forecasts of the biological impacts of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Alujević
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA.
| | - Leah Bakewell
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Ian T Clifton
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA; Department of Biology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, 72204, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Luke O Frishkoff
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Guillermo Garcia-Costoya
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Matthew E Gifford
- Department of Biology, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR, 72035, USA
| | - Madison Glenwinkel
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Samir A K Gulati
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Alyssa Head
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Monica Miles
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Ciara Pettit
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Charles M Watson
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Kelly L Wuthrich
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute for the Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Michael L Logan
- Department of Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
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21
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Han X, Sun B, Zhang Q, Teng L, Zhang F, Liu Z. Metabolic regulation reduces the oxidative damage of arid lizards in response to moderate heat events. Integr Zool 2023. [PMID: 37897215 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming poses a significant threat to species worldwide, particularly those inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions where extreme temperatures are increasingly prevalent. However, empirical studies investigating how moderate heat events affect the physiological processes of arid and semi-arid animals are largely scarce. To address this knowledge gap, we used an arid and semi-arid lizard species (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) as a study system. We manipulated thermal environments to simulate moderate heat events (43.5 ± 0.3°C during the heating period) for lizards and examined physiological and biochemical traits related to survival, metabolism, locomotion, oxidative stress, and telomere length. We found that the body condition and survival of the lizards were not significantly affected by moderate heat events, despite an increase in body temperature and a decrease in locomotion at high test temperatures were detected. Mechanistically, we found that the lizards exhibited down-regulated metabolic rates and enhanced activities of antioxidative enzymes, resulting in reduced oxidative damage and stable telomere length under moderate heat events. Based on these findings, which indicated a beneficial regulation of fitness by physiological and biochemical processes, we inferred that moderate heat events did not have a detrimental effect on the toad-headed agama, P. przewalskii. Overall, our research contributes to understanding the impacts of moderate heat events on arid and semi-arid species and highlights the adaptive responses and resilience exhibited by the toad-headed agama in the face of climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingzhi Han
- College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baojun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liwei Teng
- College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Harbin, China
| | - Fushun Zhang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Zhensheng Liu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Areas, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Harbin, China
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22
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De la Fuente MF, de Araújo BMC, da Silva Policarpo I, Pereira HM, Borges AKM, Vieira WLS, Pereira Filho GA, Alves RRN. Keeping reptiles as pets in Brazil: keepers' motivations and husbandry practices. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2023; 19:46. [PMID: 37865770 PMCID: PMC10590521 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-023-00618-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reptiles are considered one of the most popular pets in the world and are often associated with an incorrect belief that they are simple, highly adaptable, and easy to keep animals when compared with other pets, such as dogs and cats. However, keeping reptiles as pets can pose several challenges in meeting their needs in a domestic setting, requiring specific conditions and effort to maintain their health, well-being, and survival. METHODS During 2015, using online semi-structured questionnaires applied to 719 Brazilian pet reptile keepers who participated in online groups of reptile breeders on the social network Facebook, this study aimed to identify Brazilian keepers' motivations for maintaining reptiles as pets, investigate their monthly expenses, and the husbandry practices for the maintenance, such as housing and feeding conditions, handling of the animal, health issues, and treatment provided. RESULTS We found multiple motivations for keeping reptiles as pets (mostly snakes, lizards, and chelonians), the main motivation being emotional reasons, followed by entertainment and convenience reasons. The great majority of keepers (69%) declared to spend less than or up to US$30 per month in maintaining their reptiles. Most reptiles were kept alone in terrarium/aquarium enclosures, with basic environmental complexity in terms of physical elements. Lizards and chelonians were fed with a few insect species, cultivated fruits and vegetables, while snakes were fed mainly with domestic rodents, rabbits, or birds. Keepers declared frequent cleaning of the enclosure, but inappropriately handled their animals directly with their hands, which might result in potential threats to human and reptile health and safety. Several diseases or injuries were mentioned and 55.6% of the keepers declared taking the reptile to the vet for treatment. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings revealed several challenges that reptiles face when kept in domestic environments, including issues related to housing, nutrition, and healthcare. Even though keepers demonstrated positive feelings toward their pets, suggesting a positive relationship and a willingness to provide them with proper care, it seems that without the proper knowledge and awareness, reptiles may unintentionally be kept with poor husbandry. Addressing these challenges on husbandry practices is essential for improving reptiles' welfare and promoting a responsible pet ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Fernanda De la Fuente
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
| | | | - Iamara da Silva Policarpo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Heliene Mota Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
| | - Anna Karolina Martins Borges
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
- LAPEC - Laboratório de Peixes e Conservação Marinha, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Washington Luiz Silva Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Laboratório de Ecofisiologia Animal, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | | | - Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
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23
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Weaver SJ, McIntyre T, van Rossum T, Telemeco RS, Taylor EN. Hydration and evaporative water loss of lizards change in response to temperature and humidity acclimation. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb246459. [PMID: 37767755 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Testing acclimation plasticity informs our understanding of organismal physiology and applies to conservation management amidst our rapidly changing climate. Although there is a wealth of research on the plasticity of thermal and hydric physiology in response to temperature acclimation, there is a comparative gap for research on acclimation to different hydric regimes, as well as the interaction between water and temperature. We sought to fill this gap by acclimating western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) to experimental climate conditions (crossed design of hot or cool, dry or humid) for 8 days, and measuring cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL), plasma osmolality, hematocrit and body mass before and after acclimation. CEWL changed plastically in response to the different climates, with lizards acclimated to hot humid conditions experiencing the greatest increase in CEWL. Change in CEWL among individuals was negatively related to treatment vapor pressure deficit and positively related to treatment water vapor pressure. Plasma osmolality, hematocrit and body mass all showed greater changes in response to temperature than to humidity or vapor pressure deficit. CEWL and plasma osmolality were positively related across treatment groups before acclimation and within treatment groups after acclimation, but the two variables showed different responses to acclimation, suggesting that they are interrelated but governed by different mechanisms. This study is among few that assess more than one metric of hydric physiology and that test the interactive effects of temperature and humidity. Such measurements will be essential for predictive models of activity and survival for animals under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah J Weaver
- Biological Sciences Department, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Tess McIntyre
- Biological Sciences Department, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Taylor van Rossum
- Biological Sciences Department, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
| | - Rory S Telemeco
- Department of Conservation Science, Fresno Chaffee Zoo, Fresno, CA 93728, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Mathematics, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA
| | - Emily N Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department, Bailey College of Science and Mathematics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0401, USA
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24
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Karameta E, Gavriilidi I, Sfenthourakis S, Pafilis P. Seasonal Variation in the Thermoregulation Pattern of an Insular Agamid Lizard. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3195. [PMID: 37893919 PMCID: PMC10603691 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectotherms, including lizards, rely on behavioral thermoregulation to maintain their body temperature within an optimal range. The benign climate of islands is expected to favor the thermoregulation efficiency of reptiles throughout their activity period. In this study, we investigated the seasonal variation in thermoregulation in an insular population of the roughtail rock agama (Laudakia stellio) on Naxos Island, Greece. We measured body, operative, and preferred temperatures across three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn), and we evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation, using the Hertz index (E). Our results revealed that the effectiveness of thermoregulation was significantly influenced by seasonality. E was quite high in summer (0.97) and spring (0.92), and lowest in autumn (0.81). Accordingly, the quality of the thermal environment was significantly low during autumn, and maximum during summer. However, despite the environmental temperature fluctuations, lizards exhibited remarkable stability in body temperatures. They also adjusted their preferred temperatures seasonally and doubled the thermal niche breadth they occupied during summer, thus enhancing thermoregulation efficiency. Whether or not these adjustments are plastic or fixed local adaptations remains to be explored in further research across multiple years and seasons, including additional insular populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouela Karameta
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
| | - Ioanna Gavriilidi
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Spyros Sfenthourakis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Panepistimiou 1, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus;
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
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25
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Claunch NM, Goodman CM, Kluever BM, Barve N, Guralnick RP, Romagosa CM. Commonly collected thermal performance data can inform species distributions in a data-limited invader. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15880. [PMID: 37741922 PMCID: PMC10517990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43128-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting potential distributions of species in new areas is challenging. Physiological data can improve interpretation of predicted distributions and can be used in directed distribution models. Nonnative species provide useful case studies. Panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) are native to Madagascar and have established populations in Florida, USA, but standard correlative distribution modeling predicts no suitable habitat for F. pardalis there. We evaluated commonly collected thermal traits- thermal performance, tolerance, and preference-of F. pardalis and the acclimatization potential of these traits during exposure to naturally-occurring environmental conditions in North Central Florida. Though we observed temperature-dependent thermal performance, chameleons maintained similar thermal limits, performance, and preferences across seasons, despite long-term exposure to cool temperatures. Using the physiological data collected, we developed distribution models that varied in restriction: time-dependent exposure near and below critical thermal minima, predicted activity windows, and predicted performance thresholds. Our application of commonly collected physiological data improved interpretations on potential distributions of F. pardalis, compared with correlative distribution modeling approaches that predicted no suitable area in Florida. These straightforward approaches can be applied to other species with existing physiological data or after brief experiments on a limited number of individuals, as demonstrated here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie M Claunch
- USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Florida Field Station, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Colin M Goodman
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Bryan M Kluever
- USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Florida Field Station, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Narayani Barve
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Robert P Guralnick
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Christina M Romagosa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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26
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Tucker MR, Biffi D, Williams DA. Thermal refugia and persistence of Texas horned lizards ( Phrynosoma cornutum) in small towns. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10245. [PMID: 37424931 PMCID: PMC10329262 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Vegetation loss is a primary cause of habitat degradation and results in a decline in reptile species abundance due to loss of refuge from predators and hot temperatures, and foraging opportunities. Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) have disappeared from many areas in Texas, especially from urbanized areas, probably in large part due to loss of suitable habitat. This species still occurs in some small towns in Texas that still contain suitable habitat. Long-term data from Kenedy and Karnes City, Texas indicate that when study sites experienced significant shrub and vegetation removal horned lizards declined by 79%. We hypothesize the decline was due to the degradation of the thermal landscape for these lizards. We determined the preferred temperature range (T set25 - T set75) of lizards at our study sites and took field measurements of body temperature (T b). Temperature loggers were also placed in three microhabitats across our study sites. Shrubs and vegetation provided the highest quality thermal environment, especially for about 5 h midday when temperatures in the open and buried under the surface in the open exceeded the lizards' critical maximum temperature (CTmax) or were above their preferred temperature range. Horned lizard density was positively related to the thermal quality of the habitat across our sites. Texas horned lizards in these towns require a heterogeneous mix of closely spaced microhabitats and especially thermal refugia, such as shrubs and vegetation along fence lines and in open fields. Maintaining thermal refugia is one of the most important and practical conservation actions that can be taken to help small ectotherms persist in modified human landscapes and cope with increasing temperatures due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R. Tucker
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Daniella Biffi
- Andrews Institute of Mathematics & Science EducationTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
| | - Dean A. Williams
- Department of BiologyTexas Christian UniversityFort WorthTexasUSA
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27
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Deikumah JP, Biney RP, Awoonor-Williams JK, Gyakobo MK. Compendium of medically important snakes, venom activity and clinical presentations in Ghana. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011050. [PMID: 37506181 PMCID: PMC10411737 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Snake bite envenoming (SBE) is one neglected tropical disease that has not received the needed attention. The sequelae of burdensome disability and mortality impact the socioeconomic life of communities adversely with little documentation of SBE in health facility records in Ghana. This study details SBE and snake distribution, habits/habitats, type of venom expressed and clinical manifestations. METHODOLOGY We conducted a structured thematic desk review of peer reviewed papers, books and reports from repositories including PubMed, World Health Organization (WHO) and Women's & Children's Hospital (WCH) Clinical Toxinology Resources using bibliographic software EndNote and search engine Google Scholar with the following key words; snakes, medical importance, snake bites, venom and venom type, envenomation, symptoms and signs, vaccines, venom expenditure, strike behaviour and venom-metering + Ghana, West Africa, Africa, World. We also reviewed data from the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Outcome variables were organized as follows: common name (s), species, habitat/habit, species-specific toxin, clinical manifestation, antivenom availability, WHO category. FINDINGS Snake bites and SBE were grouped by the activity of the expressed venom into neurotoxic, cardiotoxic, haemorrhagic, cytotoxic, myotoxic, nephrotoxic and procoagulants. Neurotoxic snake bites were largely due to elapids. Expressed venoms with cardiotoxic, haemorrhagic, nephrotoxic and procoagulant activities principally belonged to the family Viperidae. Snakes with venoms showing myotoxic activity were largely alien to Ghana and the West African sub-region. Venoms showing cytotoxic activity are expressed by a wide range of snakes though more prevalent among the Viperidae family. Snakes with neurotoxic and haemorrhagic venom activities are prevalent across all the agro-ecological zones in Ghana. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Understanding the characteristics of snakes and their venoms is useful in the management of SBE. The distribution of snakes by their expressed venoms across the agro-ecological zones is also instructive to species identification and diagnosis of SBE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Precious Deikumah
- Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Robert Peter Biney
- Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | | | - Mawuli Kotope Gyakobo
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
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Padilla P, Herrel A, Denoël M. May future climate change promote the invasion of the marsh frog? An integrative thermo-physiological study. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05402-0. [PMID: 37351628 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05402-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and invasive species are two major drivers of biodiversity loss and their interaction may lead to unprecedented further loss. Invasive ectotherms can be expected to tolerate temperature variation because of a broad thermal tolerance and may even benefit from warmer temperatures in their new ranges that better match their thermal preference. Multi-trait studies provide a valuable approach to elucidate the influence of temperature on the invasion process and offer insights into how climatic factors may facilitate or hinder the spread of invasive ectotherms. We here used marsh frogs, Pelophylax ridibundus, a species that is invading large areas of Western Europe but whose invasive potential has been underestimated. We measured the maximal and minimal temperatures to sustain physical activity, the preferred temperature, and the thermal dependence of their stamina and jumping performance in relation to the environmental temperatures observed in their invasive range. Our results showed that marsh frogs can withstand body temperatures that cover 100% of the annual temperature variation in the pond they live in and 77% of the observed current annual air temperature variation. Their preferred body temperature and performance optima were higher than the average temperature in their pond and the average air temperature experienced under the shade. These data suggest that invasive marsh frogs may benefit from a warmer climate. Broad thermal tolerances, combined with high thermal preferences and traits maximised at high temperatures, may allow this species to expand their activity period and colonise underexploited shaded habitat, thereby promoting their invasion success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Padilla
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians (LECA), Freshwater and Oceanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Paris, France.
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Paris, France
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Denoël
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians (LECA), Freshwater and Oceanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Thompson A, Kapsanaki V, Liwanag HEM, Pafilis P, Wang IJ, Brock KM. Some like it hotter: Differential thermal preferences among lizard color morphs. J Therm Biol 2023; 113:103532. [PMID: 37055135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Temperature rules the lives of ectotherms. To perform basic biological functions, ectotherms must make behavioral adjustments to keep their body temperatures near a preferred temperature (Tpref). Many color polymorphic lizards are active thermoregulators and exhibit morph differences in traits related to thermoregulation, such as color, body size, and microhabitat use. The Aegean wall lizard, Podarcis erhardii, is a heliothermic lizard with orange, white, and yellow color morphs that differ in size, behavior, and microhabitat use. Here, we tested whether P. erhardii color morphs from the same population from Naxos island, Greece, differ in Tpref. We hypothesized that orange morphs would prefer lower temperatures than white and yellow morphs because orange morphs are often found on cooler substrates and in microhabitats with more vegetation cover. We obtained Tpref for 95 individuals using laboratory thermal gradient experiments of wild-caught lizards and found that orange morphs do, indeed, prefer cooler temperatures. Average orange morph Tpref was 2.85 °C lower than average white and yellow morph Tpref. Our results add support to the idea that P. erhardii color morphs have multivariate alternative phenotypes and present the possibility that thermally heterogeneous environments play a role in the maintenance of color polymorphism in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Thompson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vassiliki Kapsanaki
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Heather E M Liwanag
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ian J Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Arif S, Massey MDB. Reducing bias in experimental ecology through directed acyclic graphs. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9947. [PMID: 37006894 PMCID: PMC10050842 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecologists often rely on randomized control trials (RCTs) to quantify causal relationships in nature. Many of our foundational insights of ecological phenomena can be traced back to well‐designed experiments, and RCTs continue to provide valuable insights today. Although RCTs are often regarded as the “gold standard” for causal inference, it is important to recognize that they too rely on a set of causal assumptions that must be justified and met by the researcher to draw valid causal conclusions. We use key ecological examples to show how biases such as confounding, overcontrol, and collider bias can occur in experimental setups. In tandem, we highlight how such biases can be removed through the application of the structural causal model (SCM) framework. The SCM framework visualizes the causal structure of a system or process under study using directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) and subsequently applies a set of graphical rules to remove bias from both observational and experimental data. We show how DAGs can be applied across ecological experimental studies to ensure proper study design and statistical analysis, leading to more accurate causal estimates drawn from experimental data. Although causal conclusions drawn from RCTs are often taken at face value, ecologists are increasingly becoming aware that experimental approaches must be carefully designed and analyzed to avoid potential biases. By applying DAGs as a visual and conceptual tool, experimental ecologists can increasingly meet the causal assumptions required for valid causal inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchinta Arif
- Department of BiologyDalhousie University1355 Oxford StreetHalifaxNova ScotiaB3H 4R2Canada
| | - Melanie Duc Bo Massey
- Department of BiologyDalhousie University1355 Oxford StreetHalifaxNova ScotiaB3H 4R2Canada
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Is Fluctuating Asymmetry a Sufficient Indicator of Stress Level in Two Lizard Species (Zootoca vivipara and Lacerta agilis) from Alpine Habitats? Symmetry (Basel) 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/sym15030721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Alpine habitats are exposed to increasing anthropogenic pressure and climate change. The negative impacts can lead to chronic stress that can affect the survival and reproductive success of individuals and even lead to population extinction. In this study, we analyse different morphological and ecological traits and indices of abiotic and biotic stressors (such as head size and shape, fluctuating asymmetry, body condition index, tail autotomy, and population abundance) in alpine and subalpine populations of two lacertid species (Zootoca vivipara and Lacerta agilis) from Serbia and North Macedonia. These lizards live under different conditions: allotopy/syntopy, different anthropogenic pressure, and different levels of habitat protection. We found differences between syntopic and allotopic populations in pileus size, body condition index (in both species), pileus shape, fluctuating asymmetry (in L. agilis), and abundance (in Z. vivipara). Differences between populations under anthropogenic pressure and populations without it were observed in pileus shape, body condition index (in both species), pileus size, fluctuating asymmetry, tail autotomy and abundance (in L. agilis). On the basis of our results, it is necessary to include other stress indicators in addition to fluctuating asymmetry to quickly observe and quantify the negative effects of threat factors and apply protective measures.
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Komanduri KPK, Sreedharan G, Vasudevan K. Abundance and composition of forest‐dwelling anurans in cashew plantations in a tropical semi‐evergreen forest landscape. Biotropica 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gayathri Sreedharan
- CSIR‐Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species Hyderabad Telangana India
| | - Karthikeyan Vasudevan
- CSIR‐Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species Hyderabad Telangana India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) Ghaziabad Uttar Pradesh India
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Friesen CR, Wapstra E, Olsson M. Of telomeres and temperature: Measuring thermal effects on telomeres in ectothermic animals. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:6069-6086. [PMID: 34448287 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Ectotherms are classic models for understanding life-history tradeoffs, including the reproduction-somatic maintenance tradeoffs that may be reflected in telomere length and their dynamics. Importantly, life-history traits of ectotherms are tightly linked to their thermal environment, with diverse or synergistic mechanistic explanations underpinning the variation. Telomere dynamics potentially provide a mechanistic link that can be used to monitor thermal effects on individuals in response to climatic perturbations. Growth rate, age and developmental stage are all affected by temperature, which interacts with telomere dynamics in complex and intriguing ways. The physiological processes underpinning telomere dynamics can be visualized and understood using thermal performance curves (TPCs). TPCs reflect the evolutionary history and the thermal environment during an individual's ontogeny. Telomere maintenance should be enhanced at or near the thermal performance optimum of a species, population and individual. The thermal sensitivity of telomere dynamics should reflect the interacting TPCs of the processes underlying them. The key processes directly underpinning telomere dynamics are mitochondrial function (reactive oxygen production), antioxidant activity, telomerase activity and telomere endcap protein status. We argue that identifying TPCs for these processes will significantly help design robust, repeatable experiments and field studies of telomere dynamics in ectotherms. Conceptually, TPCs are a valuable framework to predict and interpret taxon- and population-specific telomere dynamics across thermal regimes. The literature of thermal effects on telomeres in ectotherms is sparse and mostly limited to vertebrates, but our conclusions and recommendations are relevant across ectothermic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Friesen
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, The University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Mats Olsson
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, The University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Tao W, Ou J, Wu D, Zhang Q, Han X, Xie L, Li S, Zhang Y. Heat wave induces oxidative damage in the Chinese pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) from low latitudes. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1053260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionGlobal warming has led to frequent heat waves, causing global organisms to face severe survival challenges. However, the way in which heat waves threaten the fitness and survival of animals remains largely unclear. Oxidative damage and immunity are widely considered the link between heat waves and threats to animals.MethodsTo evaluate the oxidative damage caused by heat waves and to reveal the physiological resistance to heat waves by the antioxidant defense of animals from different latitudes, we exposed both high-latitude (Zhejiang) and low-latitude (Hainan) populations of Chinese pond turtle (Mauremys reevesii) to simulate heat waves and a moderate thermal environment for 1 week, respectively. Next, we compared the oxidative damage by malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant capacity by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in the liver tissues and evaluated the innate immunity by serum complement protein levels (C3, C4) and lysozyme activity in plasma of turtles.Results and discussionWe found that heat waves significantly increased the content of MDA and the activity of CAT, whereas it decreased the activity of SOD, T-AOC, and GSH/GSSG in turtles from low latitudes. Furthermore, heat waves increased CAT activity but decreased GSH/GSSG in turtles from high latitudes. Although the turtles from high latitudes had higher levels of innate immunity, the heat waves did not affect the innate immunity of C3, C4, or lysozyme in either population. These results indicate that the low-latitude population suffered higher oxidative damage with lower antioxidant capacities. Therefore, we predict that Chinese pond turtles from low latitudes may be more vulnerable to heat waves caused by climate warming. This study reveals the physiological and biochemical resistance to heat waves in Chinese pond turtles from different latitudes and highlights the importance of integrative determination of fitness-related responses in evaluating the vulnerability of ectotherms from different latitudes to climate warming.
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Liu W, Yang J, Meng Y, Wu D, Cui L, Li T, Sun B, Liu P. The divergent effects of moderate climate warming on the gut microbiota and energetic state of cold-climate lizards from open and semi-closed microhabitats. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1050750. [PMID: 36483215 PMCID: PMC9722725 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1050750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Understanding the physiological responses to warming temperatures is critical for evaluating the vulnerabilities of animals to climate warming. The physiological responses are increasingly affected by gut microbiota. However, the interactions between physiological responses and the gut microbiota of sympatric animals from various microhabitats in the face of climate change remain largely unknown. METHODS To evaluate the effects of warming temperatures on animals from different microhabitats, we compared locomotor performance, metabolic rate, growth, survival, and gut microbiota of two sympatric ectothermic species (Eremias argus and Takydromus amurensis) from open and semi-closed microhabitats under present and moderate warming climate conditions, respectively. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We found that locomotor performance and growth rates of snout-vent length (SVL) were enhanced in both lizard species by warming climate. Interestingly, warming temperatures enhanced resting metabolic rates (RMR) in the open-habitat lizard, E. argus, but depressed them in the semi-closed habitat lizard, T. amurensis. Reversely, the metabolism-related gut microbiota was not affected by warming in E. argus, whereas it was significantly enhanced by warming in T. amurensis, indicating a plausible compensatory effect of the gut microbiota on the metabolic regulation of T. amurensis. Furthermore, warming likely improved immunity in both lizard species by significantly reducing pathogenic bacteria while increasing probiotics. This study found that high-latitude sympatric lizards from both open and semi-closed habitats were beneficial to warming temperatures by physiological modification and regulation of the gut microbiota and highlighted the importance of integrating the physiology and gut microbiota in evaluating the vulnerability of animals to climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanli Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Meng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Danyang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luoxin Cui
- College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Teng Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Baojun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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Alves-Ferreira G, Talora DC, Solé M, Cervantes-López MJ, Heming NM. Unraveling global impacts of climate change on amphibians distributions: A life-history and biogeographic-based approach. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.987237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change can affect species distribution patterns in three different ways: pushing them to disperse to new suitable areas, forcing them to adapt to novel climatic conditions, or driving them to extinction. However, the biological and geographical traits that lead to these different responses remain poorly explored. Here, we evaluated how ecological and biogeographic traits influence amphibians’ response to climate change. We performed a systematic review searching for studies that evaluated the effects of future climate change on amphibian’s distribution. Our research returned 31 articles that projected the distribution of 331 amphibians. Our results demonstrate that species inhabiting an elevation above 515 m will lose a significant portion of their climatically suitable area. We also found that as isothermality increases, the amount of area suitable in response to climate change also increases. Another important discovery was that as the size of the baseline area increases, the greater must be the loss of climatically suitable areas. On the other hand, species with very small areas tend to keep their current climatically suitable area in the future. Furthermore, our results indicate that species that inhabit dry habitats tend to expand their suitable area in response to climate change. This result can be explained by the environmental characteristics of these habitats, which tend to present extreme seasonal climates with well-defined periods of drought and rain. We also found that anurans that inhabit exclusively forests are projected to lose a greater portion of their suitable areas, when compared to species that inhabit both forest and open areas, wetlands, and dry and rupestrian environments. The biogeographical realm also influenced anuran’s range shifts, with Afrotropic and Nearctic species projected to expand their geographical ranges. The assessment of climate change effects on amphibian distribution has been the focus of a growing number of studies. Despite this, some regions and species remain underrepresented. Current literature evaluates about 4% of the 7,477 species of Anura and 8% of the 773 species of Caudata and some regions rich in amphibian species remain severely underrepresented, such as Madagascar. Thus, future studies should focus on regions and taxas that remain underrepresented.
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Carilo Filho LM, Gomes L, Katzenberger M, Solé M, Orrico VGD. There and back again: A meta-analytical approach on the influence of acclimation and altitude in the upper thermal tolerance of amphibians and reptiles. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1017255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Realistic predictions about the impacts of climate change onbiodiversity requires gathering ecophysiological data and the critical thermal maxima (CTMax) is the most frequently used index to assess the thermal vulnerability of species. In the present study, we performed a systematic review to understand how acclimation and altitude affect CTMax estimates for amphibian and non-avian reptile species. We retrieved CTMax data for anurans, salamanders, lizards, snakes, and turtles/terrapins. Data allowed to perform a multilevel random effects meta-analysis to answer how acclimation temperature affect CTMax of Anura, Caudata, and Squamata and also meta-regressions to assess the influence of altitude on CTMax of frogs and lizards. Acclimation temperature influenced CTMax estimates of tadpoles, adult anurans, salamanders, and lizards, but not of froglets. In general, the increase in acclimation temperature led to higher CTMax values. Altitudinal bioclimatic gradient had an inverse effect for estimating the CTMax of lizards and anuran amphibians. For lizards, CTMax was positively influenced by the mean temperature of the wettest quarter. For anurans, the relationship is inverse; we recover a trend of decreasing CTMax when max temperature of warmest month and precipitation seasonality increase. There is an urgent need for studies to investigate the thermal tolerance of subsampled groups or even for which we do not have any information such as Gymnophiona, Serpentes, Amphisbaena, and Testudines. Broader phylogenetic coverage is mandatory for more accurate analyses of macroecological and evolutionary patterns for thermal tolerance indices as CTMax.
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Chabaud C, Berroneau M, Berroneau M, Dupoué A, Guillon M, Viton R, Gavira RSB, Clobert J, Lourdais O, Le Galliard JF. Climate aridity and habitat drive geographical variation in morphology and thermo-hydroregulation strategies of a widespread lizard species. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Thermo-hydroregulation strategies involve concurrent changes in functional traits related to energy, water balance and thermoregulation and play a key role in determining life-history traits and population demography of terrestrial ectotherms. Local thermal and hydric conditions should be important drivers of the geographical variation of thermo-hydroregulation strategies, but we lack studies that examine these changes across climatic gradients in different habitat types. Here, we investigated intraspecific variation of morphology and thermo-hydroregulation traits in the widespread European common lizard (Zootoca vivipara louislantzi) across a multidimensional environmental gradient involving independent variation in air temperature and rainfall and differences in habitat features (access to free-standing water and forest cover). We sampled adult males for morphology, resting metabolic rate, total and cutaneous evaporative water loss and thermal preferences in 15 populations from the rear to the leading edge of the distribution across an elevational gradient ranging from sea level to 1750 m. Besides a decrease in adult body size with increasing environmental temperatures, we found little effect of thermal conditions on thermo-hydroregulation strategies. In particular, relict lowland populations from the warm rear edge showed no specific ecophysiological adaptations. Instead, body mass, body condition and resting metabolic rate were positively associated with a rainfall gradient, while forest cover and water access in the habitat throughout the season also influenced cutaneous evaporative water loss. Our study emphasizes the importance of rainfall and habitat features rather than thermal conditions for geographical variation in lizard morphology and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Chabaud
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Université La Rochelle, CNRS , UMR 7372, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
- iEES Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7618, Faculté Sciences et Ingénierie , 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris , France
| | | | - Maud Berroneau
- Cistude Nature, Chemin du Moulinat , 33185 Le Haillan , France
| | - Andréaz Dupoué
- iEES Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7618, Faculté Sciences et Ingénierie , 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris , France
| | - Michaël Guillon
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Université La Rochelle, CNRS , UMR 7372, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
- Cistude Nature, Chemin du Moulinat , 33185 Le Haillan , France
| | - Robin Viton
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Université La Rochelle, CNRS , UMR 7372, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
| | - Rodrigo S B Gavira
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Université La Rochelle, CNRS , UMR 7372, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
| | - Jean Clobert
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS , UMR 5321, Route du CNRS, Moulis , France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, Université La Rochelle, CNRS , UMR 7372, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- iEES Paris, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7618, Faculté Sciences et Ingénierie , 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris , France
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance) , 78 rue du château, 77140 Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours , France
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Valdez Ovallez FM, Gómez Alés R, Astudillo V, Córdoba M, Fava G, Acosta R, Blanco G, Villavicencio J, Acosta JC. Thermal biology and locomotor performance of the Andean lizard
Liolaemus fitzgeraldi
(Liolaemidae) in Argentina. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franco M. Valdez Ovallez
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) San Juan Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) San Juan Argentina
| | - Vanesa Astudillo
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Mariela Córdoba
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Gustavo Fava
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Graciela Blanco
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - José Villavicencio
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
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Ginal P, Kruger N, Wagener C, Araspin L, Mokhatla M, Secondi J, Herrel A, Measey J, Rödder D. More time for aliens? Performance shifts lead to increased activity time budgets propelling invasion success. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02903-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn the Grinnellian niche concept, the realized niche and potential distribution is characterized as an interplay among the fundamental niche, biotic interactions and geographic accessibility. Climate is one of the main drivers for this concept and is essential to predict a taxon’s distribution. Mechanistic approaches can be useful tools, which use fitness-related aspects like locomotor performance and critical thermal limits to predict the potential distribution of an organism. These mechanistic approaches allow the inclusion key ecological processes like local adaptation and can account for thermal performance traits of different life-history stages. The African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis, is a highly invasive species occurring on five continents. The French population is of special interest due to an ongoing expansion for 40 years and a broad base of knowledge. We hypothesize that (1) the French population exhibits increased activity time in the invasive European range that could be devoted to fitness-relevant activity and (2) tadpoles may have less activity time available than adult frogs from the same range. We investigate how thermal performance traits translate into activity time budgets and how local adaptation and differences in the thermal responses of life-history stages may boost the European Xenopus invasion. We use a mechanistic approach based on generalized additive mixed models, where thermal performance curves were used to predict the hours of activity and to compare the potential activity time budgets for two life-history stages of native and invasive populations. Our results show that adult French frogs have more activity time available in Europe compared to South African frogs, which might be an advantage in searching for prey or escaping from predators. However, French tadpoles do not have more activity time in Europe compared to the native South African populations suggesting that tadpoles do not suffer the same strong selective pressure as adult frogs.
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41
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Welman S, Ibarzabal I. Thermal physiology of Tropical House Geckos ( Hemidactylus mabouia) in a cool temperate region of South Africa. AFR J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2022.2098393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S Welman
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | - I Ibarzabal
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
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Lopera D, Guo KC, Putman BJ, Swierk L. Keeping it cool to take the heat: tropical lizards have greater thermal tolerance in less disturbed habitats. Oecologia 2022; 199:819-829. [PMID: 35948691 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05235-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Global climate change has profound effects on species, especially those in habitats already altered by humans. Tropical ectotherms are predicted to be at high risk from global temperature increases, particularly those adapted to cooler temperatures at higher altitudes. We investigated how one such species, the water anole (Anolis aquaticus), is affected by temperature stress similar to that of a warming climate across a gradient of human-altered habitats at high elevation sites. We conducted a field survey on thermal traits and measured lizard critical thermal maxima across the sites. From the field survey, we found that (1) lizards from the least disturbed site and (2) operative temperature models of lizards placed in the least disturbed site had lower temperatures than those from sites with histories of human disturbance. Individuals from the least disturbed site also demonstrated greater tolerance to high temperatures than those from the more disturbed sites, in both their critical thermal maxima and the time spent at high temperatures prior to reaching critical thermal maxima. Our results demonstrate within-species variability in responses to high temperatures, depending on habitat type, and provide insight into how tropical reptiles may fare in a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Lopera
- Global Environmental Science, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Kimberly Chen Guo
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Breanna J Putman
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, 92407, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Department of Herpetology and Urban Nature Research Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | - Lindsey Swierk
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Environmental Studies Program, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA. .,Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies, Iquitos, Loreto, 16001, Perú.
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Zhang L, Dayananda B, Xia JG, Sun BJ. Editorial: Ecophysiological analysis of vulnerability to climate warming in ectotherms. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.946836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Leibold DC, Gastelum JA, VandenBrooks JM, Telemeco RS. Oxygen environment and metabolic oxygen demand predictably interact to affect thermal behavior in a lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:739-745. [PMID: 35652426 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The climate crisis necessitates predicting how organisms respond to changing environments, but this requires understanding the mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance. The Hierarchical Mechanisms of Thermal Limitation (HMTL) hypothesis proposes that respiratory capacity and marginal stability of proteins and membranes interact hierarchically to determine thermal performance and limits. An untested prediction of the HMTL hypothesis is that behavioral anapyrexia (i.e., reduced body temperature in hypoxia) is exacerbated when metabolic demand is high. We tested this prediction by manipulating western fence lizards' (Sceloporus occidentalis) metabolic demand and oxygen environment, then measuring selected body temperatures. Lizards with elevated metabolic demand selected lower body temperatures at higher oxygen concentrations than resting lizards, but this occurred only at oxygen concentrations <12% O2 , suggesting thermal limits are unaffected by naturally-occurring oxygen variation. Given our results and the ubiquity of behavioral anapyrexia, the HMTL hypothesis may generally explain how oxygen and temperature interactively affect reptile performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalton C Leibold
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | - Jacob A Gastelum
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
| | | | - Rory S Telemeco
- Department of Biology, California State University Fresno, Fresno, California, USA
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Telemeco RS, Gangloff EJ, Cordero GA, Rodgers EM, Aubret F. From performance curves to performance surfaces: Interactive effects of temperature and oxygen availability on aerobic and anaerobic performance in the common wall lizard. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rory S. Telemeco
- Department of Biology California State University Fresno Fresno CA USA
| | - Eric J. Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware OH USA
| | - G. Antonio Cordero
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Department of Animal Biology University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Essie M. Rodgers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Fabien Aubret
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale du CNRS – UPR 2001 Moulis France
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Rossigalli-Costa N, Kohlsdorf T. Native Lizards Living in Brazilian Cities: Effects of Developmental Environments on Thermal Sensitivity and Morpho-Functional Associations of Locomotion. Front Physiol 2022; 13:891545. [PMID: 35910576 PMCID: PMC9335278 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.891545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental conditions often affect developmental processes and consequently influence the range of phenotypic variation expressed at population level. Expansion of urban sites poses new challenges for native species, as urbanization usually affects the intensity of solar exposure and shade availability, determining the thermal regimes organisms are exposed to. In this study, we evaluate the effects of different developmental conditions in a Tropidurus lizard commonly found in Brazilian urban sites. After incubating embryos of Tropidurus catalanensis in two different thermal regimes (Developmental Environments [DE]: cold 24°C and warm 30°C), we measured morphological traits in the neonates and quantified locomotor performance in horizontal and vertical surfaces at three temperatures [Test Temperatures (TT) = 24°C, 30°C and 36°C]. Results indicate effects of developmental temperatures on morphological features, expressing functional implications that might be decisive for the viability of T. catalanensis in urbanized areas. Lizards ran similarly on horizontal and vertical surfaces, and isolated analyses did not identify significant effects of DE or TT on the sprint speeds measured. Absolute Vmax (i.e., the maximum sprint speed reached among all TTs) positively correlated with body size (SVL), and neonates from the warm DE (30°C) were larger than those from the cold DE (24°C). Morpho-functional associations of absolute Vmax also involved pelvic girdle width and forelimb, hindlimb, trunk, and tail lengths. Emerging discussions aim to understand how animals cope with abrupt environmental shifts, a likely common challenge in urbanized sites. Our findings add a new dimension to the topic, providing evidence that temperature, an environmental parameter often affected by urbanization, influences the thermal sensitivity of locomotion and the morphological profile of T. catalanensis neonates. Thermal sensitivity of specific developmental processes may influence the ability of these lizards to remain in habitats that change fast, as those suffering rapid urbanization due to city growth.
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Clay TA, Gifford ME. Behavioral Response to Simulated Environmental Conditions in a Montane Salamander. HERPETOLOGICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-20-00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A. Clay
- Nicholls State University, 906 East 1st Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301, USA
| | - Matthew E. Gifford
- University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Avenue, Conway, AR 72035, USA
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Cui L, Yang C, Zhang D, Lin S, Zhao W, Liu P. Beneficial Effects of Warming Temperatures on Embryonic and Hatchling Development in a Low-Latitude Margin Population of the High-Latitude Lizard Lacerta agilis. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.845309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of warming temperatures on embryonic and hatchling development are critical for determining the vulnerability of species to climate warming. However, these effects have rarely been investigated in high-latitude oviparous species, particularly in their low-latitude margin populations. This study investigated the embryonic and hatchling development and fitness-related traits of a low-latitude margin population of a high-latitude lizard (Lacerta agilis). These traits were examined under present (24°C), moderate warming (27 and 30°C), and severe warming scenarios (33°C). Based on embryonic and hatchling responses to thermal variation, this study aimed to predict the vulnerability of the early life stages of low-latitude margin population of Lacerta agilis to climate warming. The incubation period of the low-latitude margin population of Lacerta agilis decreased as the temperature increased from 24 to 33°C. Hatching success was similar at 24, 27, and 30°C but decreased significantly at 33°C. No differences with temperature were observed for hatchling snout-vent length and hatchling body mass. The sprint speed was higher for hatchlings from temperatures of 24 and 33°C. The growth rate of hatchlings was highest at 30°C; however, the survival rate of hatchlings was not affected by the thermal environment. This study demonstrated that even for a low-latitude margin population of the high-latitude lizard, Lacerta agilis, moderate warming (i.e., 27 and 30°C) would benefit embryonic and hatchling development. This was indicated by the results showing higher hatching success, growth rate, and survival rate. However, if temperatures increase above 33°C, development and survival would be depressed significantly. Thus, low-latitude margin population of high-latitude species Lacerta agilis would benefit from climate warming in the near future but would be under stress if the nest temperature exceeded 30°C.
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Yao Z, Huang K, Qi Y. Post-exercise Hypothermia Varies Between High- and Low-Altitude Populations in the Asiatic Toad (Bufo gargarizans). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.846663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether and how poikilothermic animals change their thermal performance to cope with global warming are crucial questions to predict the future of biodiversity. Intraspecific comparison among populations that occur in different climatic zones can provide insight into how poikilotherms may alter their thermal performance under a particular climatic event. We compared populations of the Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans) from two altitudinal zones (3239 and 926 m above sea level) to explore variations of post-exercise hypothermia, which can lead to lower temperature preference than normal conditions. Common garden experiment was also employed to test plasticity of hypothermic performance in adult toads. As results, exhaustive exercise induced measurable reduction in body temperature for both populations. Furthermore, high-altitude population experienced larger reduction in body temperature than low-altitude conspecifics in both original habitat and common garden conditions. Therefore, low-altitude toads may to enhance their hypothermic reaction if they shift their ranges to higher altitudes to survive warming climate; However, the relatively limited plasticity of hypothermic performance may constraint their adaptative process.
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Liu W, Liu P, Cui L, Meng Y, Tao S, Han X, Sun B. Moderate climate warming scenarios during embryonic and post‐embryonic stages benefit a cold‐climate lizard. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wan‐li Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 P. R. China
- College of Life Science and Technology Harbin Normal University Harbin 150025 P. R. China
| | - Peng Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology Harbin Normal University Harbin 150025 P. R. China
| | - Luo‐xin Cui
- College of Life Science and Technology Harbin Normal University Harbin 150025 P. R. China
| | - Yu Meng
- College of Life Science and Technology Harbin Normal University Harbin 150025 P. R. China
| | - Shi‐ang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 P. R. China
| | - Xing‐zhi Han
- College of Wildlife Resources Northeast Forestry University Harbin 150040 P. R. China
| | - Bao‐jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100101 P. R. China
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