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Fierro-Estrada N, Méndez-de la Cruz FR, Tellez-Valdes O. Living in the mountains: Thermal ecology and freezing tolerance of the lizard Abronia taeniata (Squamata: Anguidae). J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103679. [PMID: 37625341 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103679] [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: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
The impact of daily and seasonal variation in environmental temperature on lizards is important, since their physiological processes are body temperature dependent. Lizards that occupy mountainous areas must have been favoured to colonize such habitats through selection on thermal biology traits to thermoregulate effectively. Moreover, mountain lizards may be able to maintain their activity near their minimum critical temperature and even have antifreeze mechanisms. Tolerance of freezing is related to the biosynthesis of cryoprotective molecules, such as glucose, whose concentration may increase after freezing. The aims of the present work were: (1) study the thermoregulation of the viviparous lizard Abronia taeniata, and (2) determine its survival and/or tolerance to freezing. This species occurs in pine forests, pine-oak forests, and mountain mesophilic forests in areas that reach freezing temperatures. In the field, we recorded air, substrate, and body temperatures at capture time of the lizards, and registered operative temperatures at the study area. In the laboratory, we determined thermal preferences, crystallization point, and blood glucose levels of individuals before and after freezing. We found out that A. taeniata sustains activity in a wide range of temperatures, actively avoids thermally favourable microhabitats in spring, and is a moderate thermoregulator during autumn and winter. In A. taeniata, the body temperatures are tightly linked to air and substrate temperatures. Seasonality had an effect over body temperature, preferred temperatures and thermoregulatory effectiveness indices. When exposed to temperatures below zero, A. taeniata showed an increase in blood glucose levels, which aided them in surviving freezing. Taken together, our results suggest that A. taeniata may sustain activity at low environmental temperatures, due to an effective behavioural thermoregulation, and in case temperatures of its habitat go below zero, is also capable of tolerate freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Fierro-Estrada
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos, Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales, Avenida de los Barrios Núm. 1, Col. Los Reyes Ixtacala, 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México; Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, CDMX, México.
| | - Fausto R Méndez-de la Cruz
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Departamento de Zoología, Laboratorio de Herpetología, Apartado postal 70515, 04510 CDMX, México
| | - Oswaldo Tellez-Valdes
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos, Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales, Avenida de los Barrios Núm. 1, Col. Los Reyes Ixtacala, 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México
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de Amaral M, Von Dentz MC, Ressel Simões LA, Vogt É, Heiermann D, Fischer P, Colombo P, Kucharski LC. Metabolic changes in the subtropical frog Boana pulchella during experimental cooling and recovery conditions. J Therm Biol 2023; 117:103705. [PMID: 37714110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103705] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Frogs have developed biochemical and physiological adaptations to occupy diverse ecological niches on Earth successfully. Survival in frozen states is a fascinating strategy made possible by evolving adaptations to produce cryoprotectant solutes. The hylid frog Boana pulchella thrives in South American regions with cold climates, remaining active while enduring sporadic subzero temperatures during winter. The species' metabolic changes during subzero exposure remain unclear. Therefore, we exposed B. pulchella to cooling and recovery, assessing plasma and tissue metabolite changes. Cooling significantly reduced urea concentrations in plasma (P = 0.033), muscle (P = 0.001), heart (P = 0.009), and brain (P = 0.041) compared to acclimation. Liver glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis were lower in cooling and recovery than in acclimation (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0117, respectively). Muscle glycogen synthesis was lower in recovery than acclimation (P = 0.0249). These results demonstrate B. pulchella's physiological strategies during subzero exposure, likely reflecting species-specific evolutionary adaptations for brief subzero exposures that enable winter survival in its natural habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjoriane de Amaral
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Comparative Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90035003, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Maiza Cristina Von Dentz
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Comparative Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90035003, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Airton Ressel Simões
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Comparative Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90035003, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Éverton Vogt
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Comparative Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90035003, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Dener Heiermann
- Museum of Natural Sciences of the Secretariat of Environment and Infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul (SEMA), FZB, Department of Herpetology/Amphibians, Doutor Salvador França, 90690000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Pedro Fischer
- Museum of Natural Sciences of the Secretariat of Environment and Infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul (SEMA), FZB, Department of Herpetology/Amphibians, Doutor Salvador França, 90690000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Patrick Colombo
- Museum of Natural Sciences of the Secretariat of Environment and Infrastructure of Rio Grande do Sul (SEMA), FZB, Department of Herpetology/Amphibians, Doutor Salvador França, 90690000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Luiz Carlos Kucharski
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Comparative Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2600, 90035003, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Sanabria EA, González E, Quiroga LB, Tejedo M. Vulnerability to warming in a desert amphibian tadpole community: the role of interpopulational variation. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. A. Sanabria
- Instituto de Ciencias Básicas Facultad de Filosofía Humanidades y Artes Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Mendoza Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) La Plata Argentina
| | - E. González
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) La Plata Argentina
- Museo de La Plata Universidad Nacional de La Plata La Plata Argentina
| | - L. B. Quiroga
- Instituto de Ciencias Básicas Facultad de Filosofía Humanidades y Artes Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) La Plata Argentina
| | - M. Tejedo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC Sevilla Spain
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