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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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2
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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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3
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Gómez Alés R, Acosta JC, Astudillo V, Córdoba M. Season-sex interaction induces changes in the ecophysiological traits of a lizard in a high altitude cold desert, Puna region. J Therm Biol 2022; 103:103152. [PMID: 35027202 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Functional traits are those characteristics of organisms that influence the ability of a species to develop in a habitat and persist in the face of environmental changes. The traits are often affected by a multiplicity of species-dependent and external factors. Our objective was to investigate thermal biology of Liolaemus ruibali in a high altitude cold desert at the arid Puna region, Argentina. We address the following question: do sex and seasonal variations in environmental temperature induce changes in the ecophysiological traits? We measured and compared the operative temperatures between fall and spring; and between sexes and seasons, we compared the ecophysiological traits of lizards, microenvironmental temperatures and thermoregulatory behavior. Air and operative temperatures were different between seasons. We found an effect of season-sex interaction on field body temperatures, preferred temperatures, panting threshold and thermal quality. The voluntary and critical temperatures presented seasonal variation in relation to changes in environmental temperatures, suggesting thermal acclimatization. We note behavioral changes between seasons, with the substrate being the main resource for gaining heat in spring. We conclude that Liolaemus ruibali is an efficient thermoregulator; it is a eurythermic lizard and presents phenotypic plasticity in different ecophysiological and behavioral traits induced by sex and seasonality. In addition, we predict that this population could buffer the effects of projected global warming scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina.
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Vanesa Astudillo
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Mariela Córdoba
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS, San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
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4
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Victorica Erostarbe AE, Fava GA, Acosta JC. Restricted use of space in an endemic lizard of the Andes: addressing the effects of intrinsic and environmental factors. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03120-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Correspondence between thermal biology and locomotor performance in a liolaemid lizard from the southeastern coastal Pampas of Argentina. J Therm Biol 2021; 105:103173. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Miranda-Calle AB, Pacheco LF, Aparicio J, Méndez-De la Cruz FR. Thermoregulation of Liolaemus aparicioi (Iguania: Liolaemidae) along a 1000 m elevational gradient in La Paz Valley, La Paz, Bolivia. J Therm Biol 2021; 99:102940. [PMID: 34420606 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102940] [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: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Lizard species have diverse behavioral and physiological responses to thermo-environmental conditions, which allow them to inhabit a broad range of latitudes and elevations. Because the availability of suitable thermal resources is limited and more variable at high-elevation environments than at lower elevations, we expect high-elevation lizards to be constrained in their thermoregulation relative to lizards at lower elevations by the fewer available thermal resources to reach optimal temperatures (colder environment). We studied the thermal biology of an endemic and Critically Endangered lizard, Liolaemus aparicioi, to assess its thermal responses along a 1000 m elevational gradient in La Paz Valley from May to August of 2015 (dry season). We took field body and microhabitat temperatures at capture sites (substrate and air above ground), and body size (snout-vent length and mass) of individuals at Taypichullo (3000 m asl), Gran Jardín de la Revolución Municipal Park (3500 m asl), and Taucachi (4000 m asl) localities. Operative temperatures were taken from calibrated models deployed in different available microhabitats. Preferred temperatures and thermal tolerance limits were determined in laboratory settings for lizards from each locality. Field body, microhabitat, and operative temperatures decreased with increasing elevation and differed between sexes. Lizards at the high elevation locality had the lowest thermoregulatory efficiency as compared with the mid and lower elevation localities. In laboratory measurements, while the preferred temperatures varied between sexes, pooled preferred temperatures and thermal tolerances were similar in all localities. Although thermal resources at high elevation can limit thermoregulatory possibilities in L. aparicioi, behavioral microhabitat use, time allocated to thermoregulation, and physiological adjustments seem to be possible strategies to counteract thermal costs along elevational gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Bruno Miranda-Calle
- Carrera de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 10077, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia; Área de Herpetología, Colección Boliviana de Fauna, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 08706, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia; Red de Investigadores en Herpetología, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - Luis F Pacheco
- Instituto de Ecología, Carrera de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 10077, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - James Aparicio
- Área de Herpetología, Colección Boliviana de Fauna, Campus Universitario, c/27 Cota Cota, C.P. 08706, Correo Central, La Paz, Bolivia; Red de Investigadores en Herpetología, La Paz, Bolivia.
| | - Fausto R Méndez-De la Cruz
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Neel LK, Logan ML, Nicholson DJ, Miller C, Chung AK, Maayan I, Degon Z, DuBois M, Curlis JD, Taylor Q, Keegan KM, McMillan WO, Losos JB, Cox CL. Habitat structure mediates vulnerability to climate change through its effects on thermoregulatory behavior. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael L. Logan
- University of Nevada Reno NV USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
| | - Daniel J. Nicholson
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
- Queen Mary University London London UK
| | | | - Albert K. Chung
- Georgia Southern University Statesboro GA USA
- University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
| | | | - Zach Degon
- Georgia Southern University Statesboro GA USA
| | | | | | | | | | - W. O. McMillan
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Panama City Panama
| | | | - Christian L. Cox
- Georgia Southern University Statesboro GA USA
- Florida International University Miami FL USA
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8
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Ibargüengoytía NR, Medina M, Laspiur A, Qu YF, Peralta CAR, Sinervo B, Miles DB. Looking at the past to infer into the future: Thermal traits track environmental change in Liolaemidae. Evolution 2021; 75:2348-2370. [PMID: 33939188 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The diversity of habitats generated by the Andes uplift resulted a mosaic of heterogeneous environments in South America for species to evolve a variety of ecological and physiological specializations. Species in the lizard family Liolaemidae occupy a myriad of habitats in the Andes. Here, we analyze the tempo and mode of evolution in the thermal biology of liolaemids. We assessed whether there is evidence of local adaptation (lability) or conservatism (stasis) in thermal traits. We tested the hypothesis that abiotic factors (e.g., geography, climate) rather than intrinsic factors (egg-laying [oviparous] or live-bearing [viviparous], substrate affinity) explain variation in field active body temperature (Tb ), preferred temperature (Tp ), hours of restriction of activity, and potential hours of activity. Although most traits exhibited high phylogenetic signal, we found variation in thermal biology was shaped by geography, climate, and ecological diversity. Ancestral character reconstruction showed shifts in Tb tracked environmental change in the past ∼20,000 years. Thermal preference is 3°C higher than Tb , yet exhibited a lower rate of evolution than Tb and air temperature. Viviparous Liolaemus have lower Tb s than oviparous species, whereas Tp is high for both modes of reproduction, a key difference that results in a thermal buffer for viviparous species to cope with global warming. The rapid increase in environmental temperatures expected in the next 50-80 years in combination with anthropogenic loss of habitats are projected to cause extirpations and extinctions in oviparous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Ruth Ibargüengoytía
- Ecophysiology and Life History of Reptiles: Research Laboratory. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Marlin Medina
- CIEMEP, CONICET. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco sede Esquel, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Laspiur
- Ecophysiology and Life History of Reptiles: Research Laboratory. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | | | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Coastal Sciences Building, 130, McAllister Way, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95065, USA.,Deceased
| | - Donald B Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, 131 Life Sciences Building, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
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Gómez Alés R, Acosta JC, Valdez F, Martínez TA, Acosta R, Rodriguez Muñoz MJ, Fernández R, Corrales L. Comparative thermal ecophysiology in Pristidactylus scapulatus populations from the Puna region of Argentina. ZOOLOGY 2021; 145:125903. [PMID: 33639556 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Reptiles are important models for understanding fundamental aspects of physiological ecology and for assessing how environmental change can impact biodiversity. Abiotic factors (micro-environmental temperatures, operative temperatures, thermal quality) may vary geographically along an altitudinal and latitudinal gradient, and therefore the different thermal resources available for thermoregulation also vary. Comparative analyses among populations provide an opportunity to understand how variation in abiotic factors can affect different ecophysiological traits of a species at different geographical points. Our objective was to carry out a comparative study between two populations of Pristidactylus scapulatus in the Puna region of Argentina, providing the first data available on thermal ecophysiology, thermoregulatory efficiency and locomotor performance of the species. We determined field body temperature, micro-environmental temperatures and operative temperatures. In the laboratory, we measured preferred temperatures and calculated the index of thermoregulatory efficiency. In addition, we recorded critical temperature (minimum and maximum) and we estimated the thermal sensitivity of locomotion by measuring sprint speed at different body temperatures; based on these data we calculated the optimal temperature for performance, the optimal performance breadth and thermal safety margin. Air temperatures and operative temperatures were different between sites. However, we only found differences between populations in the minimum critical temperatures, with these being lower at higher latitude. We note that P. scapulatus populations adjust optimal temperatures of performance to field body temperatures and preferred temperatures, which could reduce the costs of thermoregulation in lizards with limited daily activity and who inhabit sites with variable and unpredictable environment temperatures. We conclude that Pristidactylus scapulatus has thermal sensitivity in locomotor performance, is a moderate thermoregulator with respect to the environment and is a eurithermic lizard, which has thermal flexibility in the cold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina.
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
| | - Franco Valdez
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Tomás Agustín Martínez
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
| | - Melina Jesús Rodriguez Muñoz
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Rubén Fernández
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
| | - Lucas Corrales
- DIBIOVA (Gabinete Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), San Juan, Argentina
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10
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Vicenzi N, Laspiur A, Sassi PL, Massarelli R, Krenz J, Ibargüengoytía NR. Impact of temperature on bite force and bite endurance in the leopard iguana ( Diplolaemus leopardinus) in the Andes Mountains. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb221382. [PMID: 32366690 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.221382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
In ectotherms, temperature exerts a strong influence on the performance of physiological and ecological traits. One approach to understanding the impact of rising temperatures on animals and their ability to cope with climate change is to quantify variation in thermal-sensitive traits. Here, we examined the thermal biology, temperature dependence and thermal plasticity of bite force (endurance and magnitude) in Diplolaemus leopardinus, an aggressive and territorial lizard endemic to Mendoza province, Argentina. Our results indicate that this lizard behaves like a moderate thermoregulator that uses the rocks of its environment as the main heat source. Bite endurance was not influenced by head morphometry and body temperature, whereas bite force was influenced by head length and jaw length, and exhibited thermal dependence. Before thermal acclimation treatments, the maximum bite force for D. leopardinus occurred at the lowest body temperature and fell sharply with increasing body temperature. After acclimation treatments, lizards acclimated at higher temperatures exhibited greater bite force. Bite force showed phenotypic plasticity, which reveals that leopard iguanas are able to maintain (and even improve) their bite force under a rising-temperature scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Vicenzi
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones en Zonas Áridas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IADIZA-CONICET), Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Ciudad de Mendoza 5500, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Padre Contreras 1300, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Laspiur
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA-CONICET), Quintral 1250, Río Negro 8400, Argentina
- Escuela Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud (EUCS), Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Rawson 1850, San Juan 5419, Argentina
| | - Paola L Sassi
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones en Zonas Áridas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IADIZA-CONICET), Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Ciudad de Mendoza 5500, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Padre Contreras 1300, Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - Rubén Massarelli
- Dirección de Recursos Naturales Renovables, Secretaría de Ambiente y Ordenamiento Territorial, Av. L. Peltier 351, Ciudad de Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - John Krenz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN 56001, USA
| | - Nora R Ibargüengoytía
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA-CONICET), Quintral 1250, Río Negro 8400, Argentina
- Departamento de Zoología, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Río Negro 8400, Argentina
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Lu HL, Xu CX, Zeng ZG, Du WG. Environmental causes of between-population difference in growth rate of a high-altitude lizard. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:37. [PMID: 30249235 PMCID: PMC6154872 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0194-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ectothermic animals living in cold (high latitude or high elevation) regions are predicted to grow slower due to limited thermal opportunities for activity and food resources than those living in warm regions. However, the Qinghai toad-headed lizards (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) grow faster and reach a larger adult size at a high-elevation site than at a low-elevation site. In this study, we aimed to identify the genetic and environmental causes of this between-population difference in growth rate by conducting mark-recapture and common garden experiments on juvenile growth rate, and investigating the thermal environment, lizard body temperature, potential prey availability at the two elevation sites. Results Compared with low-elevation individuals, high-elevation juvenile lizards had higher growth rates in the field, but grew at similar rates in the laboratory. High-elevation lizards had higher active body temperatures than low-elevation lizards despite similar air temperatures in the period of field investigation. The high-elevation site had relatively more and larger preys than the low-elevation site. Conclusions Inter-population difference in growth rate of P. vlangalii may primarily result from developmental plasticity in response to the difference in environmental resources, rather than genetic differentiation. The higher growth rate of high-elevation lizards is likely associated with higher potential food availability and higher active body temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Liang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310036, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chun-Xia Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Gao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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12
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Stellatelli OA, Villalba A, Block C, Vega LE, Dajil JE, Cruz FB. Seasonal shifts in the thermal biology of the lizard Liolaemus tandiliensis (Squamata, Liolaemidae). J Therm Biol 2018; 73:61-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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13
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Yuni LPEK, Jones SM, Wapstra E. Thermal biology of the spotted snow skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, along an altitudinal gradient. AUST J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/zo18014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Body temperatures in ectotherms are strongly affected by their thermal environment. Ectotherms respond to variation in the thermal environment either by modification of behavioural thermoregulation to maintain their optimal body temperature or by shifting their optimal body temperature. In this study, the body temperatures of males of three populations of spotted snow skinks, Niveoscincus ocellatus, living along an altitudinal gradient (low, mid, and high altitude) were studied in the field and laboratory in spring, summer, and autumn, representing the full activity period of this species. The environmental variation across both sites and seasons affected their field active body temperatures. At the low and mid altitude, N. ocellatus had a higher mean body temperature than at the high altitude. Animals achieved their thermal preference at the low and mid altitude sites in all seasons. At the high altitude, however, N. ocellatus struggled to reach its preferred body temperatures, especially in autumn. The lower body temperature at the high-altitude site is likely due to limited thermal opportunity and/or an effect of avoiding the costs associated with increased intensity of basking.
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Altitude influences thermal ecology and thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance in a toad-headed lizard. J Therm Biol 2017; 71:136-141. [PMID: 29301682 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Population differentiation in ectotherm physiological performance may be driven by adapting to different thermal environments. In this study, we measured locomotor performance in two different altitude populations of the Qinghai toad-headed lizards (Phrynocephalus vlangalii) at different test temperatures to assess between-population differences in thermal sensitivity of sprint speed. Low-elevation lizards ran faster than high-elevation lizards at most test temperatures. Sprint speed varied with test temperature similarly between populations, but the thermal sensitivity (performance breadth) differed significantly. Low-elevation lizards had a lower optimal temperature (Topt) for sprint speed and narrower performance breadth than high-elevation lizards as inferred from the thermal performance curves constructed for each individual. We also measured the body temperature of active lizards (Tb) in the field and selected temperature (Tsel) in the laboratory. Low-elevation lizards had a lower Tsel, and less variable Tb than high-elevation lizards. In both populations, Tsel was lower than Topt for sprint speed, which was inconsistent with the prediction for a match between thermal preference and Topt. Our results suggest that lower thermal sensitivity and weaker locomotor ability for high-elevation lizards may be an adaptive response to the local environmental conditions (e.g., greater thermal variability, higher food availability, and lower predator pressure).
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15
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Stellatelli OA, Block C, Villalba A, Vega LE, Dajil JE, Cruz FB. Behavioral compensation buffers body temperatures of two Liolaemus lizards under contrasting environments from the temperate Pampas: a Bogert effect? ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2017.1388293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar A. Stellatelli
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Deán Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Carolina Block
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Deán Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Agustina Villalba
- Laboratorio de Artrópodos, Centro de Investigación en Abejas Sociales (CIAS). Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Deán Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Laura E. Vega
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Deán Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan E. Dajil
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Deán Funes 3250, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Félix B. Cruz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400 San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
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16
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Gómez Alés R, Acosta JC, Laspiur A. Thermal biology in two syntopic lizards, Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus, in the Puna region of Argentina. J Therm Biol 2017; 68:73-82. [PMID: 28689724 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Body temperature is the most important ecophysiological variable affecting reptiles' life history. Moreover, thermoregulation in ectotherms implies a struggle to reach preferred temperatures in natural conditions due to the influence of biotic and abiotic factors. Our objective was to evaluate and compare the thermal biology of two syntopic species, Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus, in the Puna region of San Juan, Argentina. We determined body temperature (Tb), micro-environmental temperatures (Ta and Ts) and operative temperatures (Te) in the field. In the laboratory, we measured preferred temperatures (Tpref) and calculated the index of thermoregulatory efficiency (E). Neither body temperatures in the field nor preferred temperatures varied between seasons and sexes. Body temperatures were lower than preferred temperatures for both species. Nevertheless, regardless of the low thermal offer available in habitat, both species did achieve body temperatures higher than operative temperatures during activity. Thermoregulatory effectiveness was moderate in P. extrilidus (E=0.65), while L. parvus presented greater thermoregulatory efficiency (E=0.78). We conclude that under the rigorous climate conditions of the Puna, Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus are able to actively and efficiently thermoregulate, maintaining body temperatures close to the preferred and higher than those of its habitat. Differences in thermal characteristics between Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus are a consequence of differential limitations imposed on each species by the environment and of forces inherent to their life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- DIBIOVA (Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, San Juan CPA: J5402DCS, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina.
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, San Juan CPA: J5402DCS, Argentina; CIGEOBIO-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, San Juan CPA: J5402DCS, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Laspiur
- CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina
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17
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Geographic variation and acclimation effects on thermoregulation behavior in the widespread lizard Liolaemus pictus. J Therm Biol 2016; 63:78-87. [PMID: 28010818 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Populations at the warm range margins of the species distribution may be at the greatest risks of extinction from global warming unless they can tolerate extreme environmental conditions. Yet, some studies suggest that the thermal behavior of some lizard species is evolutionarily rigid. During two successive years, we compared the thermal biology of two populations of Liolaemus pictus living at the northern (warmer) and one population living at the southern (colder) range limits, thus spanning an 800km latitudinal distance. Populations at the two range margins belong to two deeply divergent evolutionary clades. We quantified field body temperatures (Tb), laboratory preferred body temperatures (PBT), and used operative temperature data (Te) to calculate the effectiveness of thermoregulation (E). During one year in all populations, we further exposed half of the lizards to a cold or a hot acclimation treatment to test for plasticity in the thermal behavior. The environment at the southern range limit was characterized by cooler weather and lower Te. Despite that, females had higher Tb and both males and females had higher PBT in the southernmost population (or clade) than in the northernmost populations. Acclimation to cold conditions led to higher PBT in all populations suggesting that plastic responses to thermal conditions, instead of evolutionary history, may contribute to geographic variation. Lizards regulated moderately well their body temperature (E≈0.7): they avoided warm microhabitats in the northern range but capitalized on warm microhabitats in the southern range. We review literature data to show that Liolaemus species increase their thermoregulation efficiency in thermally challenging environments. Altogether, this indicates that habitats of low thermal quality generally select against thermoconformity in these lizards.
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18
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Andrango MB, Sette C, Torres-Carvajal O. Short-term predicted extinction of Andean populations of the lizard Stenocercus guentheri (Iguanidae: Tropidurinae). J Therm Biol 2016; 62:30-36. [PMID: 27839547 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We studied the thermal physiology of the Andean lizard Stenocercus guentheri in order to evaluate the possible effects of global warming on this species. We determined the preferred body temperature (Tpref), critical thermals (CTmin, CTmax), and hours of restriction and activity. Tpref was 32.14±1.83°C; CTmin was 8.31°C in adults and 9.14°C in juveniles, whereas CTmax was 43.28°C in adults and 41.68°C in juveniles. To assess extinction risk, we used the model created by Sinervo et al. (2010) and predicted that 16.7% of populations will have a high risk of extinction by 2020, with an increase to 26.7% by 2050. These results suggest that this species, despite being able to maintain its Tpref through behavioral thermoregulation and habitat selection, could be physiologically sensitive to climate warming; thus, the potential for local adaptation may be limited under a warmer climate. Further studies focusing on the ability of S. guentheri to evolve higher Tpref and thermal tolerances are needed to understand the ability of this species to respond to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Andrango
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Carla Sette
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador.
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19
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Zamora-Camacho FJ, Reguera S, Moreno-Rueda G. Thermoregulation in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-m elevational gradient in Sierra Nevada (Spain). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2016; 60:687-697. [PMID: 26373651 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-015-1063-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Achieving optimal body temperature maximizes animal fitness. Since ambient temperature may limit ectotherm thermal performance, it can be constrained in too cold or hot environments. In this sense, elevational gradients encompass contrasting thermal environments. In thermally pauperized elevations, ectotherms may either show adaptations or suboptimal body temperatures. Also, reproductive condition may affect thermal needs. Herein, we examined different thermal ecology and physiology capabilities of the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-m elevational gradient. We measured field (T(b)) and laboratory-preferred (T(pref)) body temperatures of lizards with different reproductive conditions, as well as ambient (T(a)) and copper-model operative temperature (T(e)), which we used to determine thermal quality of the habitat (d(e)), accuracy (d(b)), and effectiveness of thermoregulation (de-db) indexes. We detected no Tb trend in elevation, while T(a) constrained T(b) only at high elevations. Moreover, while Ta decreased more than 7 °C with elevation, T(pref) dropped only 0.6 °C, although significantly. Notably, low-elevation lizards faced excess temperature (T(e) > T(pref)). Notably, de was best at middle elevations, followed by high elevations, and poorest at low elevations. Nonetheless, regarding microhabitat, high-elevation de was more suitable in sun-exposed microhabitats, which may increase exposition to predators, and at midday, which may limit daily activity. As for gender, d(b) and d(e)-d(b) were better in females than in males. In conclusion, P. algirus seems capable to face a wide thermal range, which probably contributes to its extensive corology and makes it adaptable to climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Senda Reguera
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain
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20
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Piantoni C, Navas CA, Ibargüengoytía NR. Vulnerability to climate warming of four genera of New World iguanians based on their thermal ecology. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Piantoni
- Departamento de Fisiologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - C. A. Navas
- Departamento de Fisiologia; Instituto de Biociências; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo Brazil
| | - N. R. Ibargüengoytía
- Departamento de Zoología; Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche and INIBIOMA; CONICET; INIBIOMA-Universidad Nacional del Comahue; San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
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21
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Cecchetto NR, Naretto S. Do sex, body size and reproductive condition influence the thermal preferences of a large lizard? A study in Tupinambis merianae. J Therm Biol 2015; 53:198-204. [PMID: 26590472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Body temperature is a key factor in physiological processes, influencing lizard performances; and life history traits are expected to generate variability of thermal preferences in different individuals. Gender, body size and reproductive condition may impose specific requirements on preferred body temperatures. If these three factors have different physiological functions and thermal requirements, then the preferred temperature may represent a compromise that optimizes these physiological functions. Therefore, the body temperatures that lizards select in a controlled environment may reflect a temperature that maximizes their physiological needs. The tegu lizard Tupinambis merianae is one of the largest lizards in South America and has wide ontogenetic variation in body size and sexual dimorphism. In the present study we evaluate intraspecific variability of thermal preferences of T. merianae. We determined the selected body temperature and the rate at which males and females attain their selected temperature, in relation to body size and reproductive condition. We also compared the behavior in the thermal gradient between males and females and between reproductive condition of individuals. Our study show that T. merianae selected body temperature within a narrow range of temperatures variation in the laboratory thermal gradient, with 36.24±1.49°C being the preferred temperature. We observed no significant differences between sex, body size and reproductive condition in thermal preferences. Accordingly, we suggest that the evaluated categories of T. merianae have similar thermal requirements. Males showed higher rates to obtain heat than females and reproductive females, higher rates than non-reproductive ones females. Moreover, males and reproductive females showed a more dynamic behavior in the thermal gradient. Therefore, even though they achieve the same selected temperature, they do it differentially.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sergio Naretto
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), CONICET and Laboratorio Biología del Comportamiento, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Vélez Sársfield 299, Córdoba CP: X5000JJC, Argentina..
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22
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Yuni LPEK, Jones SM, Wapstra E. Energy expenditure of the spotted snow skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, at two climatic extremes of its distribution range. J Therm Biol 2015; 52:208-16. [PMID: 26267516 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The study of energy expenditure between populations of a wide ranging ectothermic species may provide an insight into how organisms respond to variation in environmental conditions. In this study, the energy expenditure of male spotted snow skinks, Niveoscincus ocellatus, living at the two extremes of the species' distribution range (warm lowland versus cold alpine site) was measured using the doubly labelled water method. Males at the cold alpine site expended more energy per gram per hour compared to their counterparts living at the warm lowland site. Lizards living at high altitude were active at lower temperatures compared with those at the low altitude site, which resulted in a longer activity time for the highland population. However, the differences in energy expenditure cannot be explained only by these differences in activity time. We further suggest that at the cold alpine site, lizards compensated for the low temperatures by elevating their metabolism which subsequently increased their energy expenditure. An elevated metabolic rate combined with modified thermoregulatory behaviour is likely an important mechanism allowing N. ocellatus to cope with the cold environments at high altitude sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luh P E K Yuni
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Susan M Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
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23
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24
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Balogová M, Gvoždík L. Can newts cope with the heat? Disparate thermoregulatory strategies of two sympatric species in water. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128155. [PMID: 25993482 PMCID: PMC4439017 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many ectotherms effectively reduce their exposure to low or high environmental temperatures using behavioral thermoregulation. In terrestrial ectotherms, thermoregulatory strategies range from accurate thermoregulation to thermoconformity according to the costs and limits of thermoregulation, while in aquatic taxa the quantification of behavioral thermoregulation have received limited attention. We examined thermoregulation in two sympatric newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris, exposed to elevated water temperatures under semi-natural conditions. According to a recent theory, we predicted that species for which elevated water temperatures pose a lower thermal quality habitat, would thermoregulate more effectively than species in thermally benign conditions. In the laboratory thermal gradient, L. vulgaris maintained higher body temperatures than I. alpestris. Semi-natural thermal conditions provided better thermal quality of habitat for L. vulgaris than for I. alpestris. Thermoregulatory indices indicated that I. alpestris actively thermoregulated its body temperature, whereas L. vulgaris remained passive to the thermal heterogeneity of aquatic environment. In the face of elevated water temperatures, sympatric newt species employed disparate thermoregulatory strategies according to the species-specific quality of the thermal habitat. Both strategies reduced newt exposure to suboptimal water temperatures with the same accuracy but with or without the costs of thermoregulation. The quantification of behavioral thermoregulation proves to be an important conceptual and methodological tool for thermal ecology studies not only in terrestrial but also in aquatic ectotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Balogová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
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25
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Stellatelli OA, Vega LE, Block C, Cruz FB. Effects of Tree Invasion on the Habitat Use of Sand Lizards. HERPETOLOGICA 2013. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-12-00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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26
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Corbalán V, Debandi G, Kubisch E. Thermal ecology of two sympatric saxicolous lizards of the genus Phymaturus from the Payunia region (Argentina). J Therm Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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