Microhabitat use by Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata: Teiidae) in the grasslands of the Araucaria Plateau, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Caruccio, Rodrigo; Vieira, Renata Cardoso; Verrastro, Laura

doi:10.1590/s1984-46702010000600011

Cited by 6 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(26 reference statements)

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“…The correlation between the TB and the TA, and between the TB and the TS indicates that both (TA and TS) are important heat sources (R 2 = 0.46, p < 0.0001, n = 163). As verified by CAruCCio et al (2010) for this species, only 1.06% of the lizards were observed walking through the grass, and 80.85% were recorded underneath rocky outcrops. Also, in warmer seasons, during the hottest hours of the day, these authors found only 18.6% of the individuals at the edge of the outcrop in the herbaceous vegetation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…However, this trend has not been verified by us. CAruCCio et al (2010) found that adults and juveniles use rocks that are significantly different in thickness. This may indicate a differentiation in the spatial thermoregulatory behavior between individuals of different sizes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Still, it is noteworthy to mention that CAruCCio et al (2010) found that, during the reproductive season, females select the thinnest rocks to build their dens.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, low environmental temperatures during autumn and winter may have contributed to the marked increase of inactive periods in these seasons (CAruCCio et al, 2010). According to AndrAde & Abe (2007), lizard performance should decrease in colder environments due to a decrease in the temperature of their bodies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its seasonal reproduction occurs between October and February (rezende-Pinto et al, 2009;CAruCCio et al, 2010). Individuals of this species are found in small, shallow holes they build in the substrate underneath outcrops of loose stones (CAruCCio et al, 2010).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Thermal biology, activity, and population parameters of Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata, Teiidae), a lizard endemic to southern Brazil

Caruccio

Vieira

Verrastro

et al. 2011

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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ABSTRACT. We investigated the following aspects of the biology of a population of Cnemidophorus vacariensis Feltrim & Lema, 2000 during the four seasons: thermal biology, relationship with the thermal environment, daily and seasonal activity, population structure and growth rate. Cnemidophorus vacariensis is restricted to rocky outcrops of the "campos de cima da serra" grasslands on the Araucaria Plateau, southern Brazil, and is currently listed as regionally and nationally threatened with extinction. Data were collected from October 2004 through September 2007 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Sampling was conducted randomly from 08:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The capture-mark-recapture method was employed. The lizards were captured by hand, and their cloacal temperature, sex, snout-ventral length (SVL), mass, and the temperature of their microhabitat (substrate temperature and air temperature) were recorded. Individuals were then marked by toe-clipping and released at the site of capture. Body temperatures were obtained for 175 individuals, activity data for 96 individuals, and data on population structure and growth for 59 individuals. All data were obtained monthly, at different times of the day. Cnemidophorus vacariensis average body temperature was 23.84°C, ranging between 9.6 and 38.2°C. Temperatures ranged between 21 and 29°C. The correlation between external heat sources, substrate and air were positive and significant and there was a greater correlation between lizard's temperature and the temperature of the substrate (tigmothermic species). The relatively low body temperatures of individuals are associated with the climate of their environment (altitude up to 1,400 m), with large variations in temperature throughout the day and the year, and low temperatures in winter. The average body temperature observed for C. vacariensis was low when compared with that of phylogenetically related species, suggesting that the thermal biology of this species reflects adaptations to the temperate region where it lives. The monthly rates of activity of lizards were related to monthly variations in the ambient temperatures. Our data suggest that the daily and seasonal activity of C. vacariensis result from the interaction between two factors: changes in the environment temperature and the relationship between individuals and their thermal environment. The population structure of C. vacariensis varied throughout the study period, with maximum biomass in January and maximum density in February (recruitment period). The sex ratio diverged from the expected 1:1. The growth analysis showed a negative relationship between the growth rate of individuals and the SVL, revealing that young individuals grow faster than adults, a typical pattern for short-lived species. The population studied showed a seasonal and cyclical variation associated with the reproductive cycle. The life strategy of C. vacariensis seems to include adaptations to the seasonal variations in temperature, typical of its environment. KEYWORDS.Body temperature, grow...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Still, it is noteworthy to mention that CAruCCio et al (2010) found that, during the reproductive season, females select the thinnest rocks to build their dens.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal biology, activity, and population parameters of Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata, Teiidae), a lizard endemic to southern Brazil

Caruccio

Vieira

Verrastro

et al. 2011

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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How close is danger? Relationship between the distance from an exotic tree plantation and occupancy of an endemic lizard

et al. 2022

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Silviculture is among the human activities that contribute most to fragmentation and habitat loss. The comprehension of the effects of such activity on the environment is crucial for conservation. Here, we assessed the effects of silviculture on the local distribution of Contomastix vacariensis, an endemic lizard from southern Brazil. We used a single‐season occupancy model in a Bayesian framework to estimate the occupancy probability of the species in 69 sites with different distances from silviculture areas. Our data showed a low probability of occupancy of C. vacariensis within a distance smaller than 1000 m from silviculture areas, while detection probability was negatively influenced by wind speed. This is the first work to demonstrate a gradual negative effect of exotic silviculture in lizards, which may be more intense inside planted areas and decrease as the distance from the exotic plantation increases. Such results may help delimit the size of conservation areas and management of exotic silviculture species within these areas. Studies with similar methods, considering the distance from the effects of environmental impacts, can be a helpful tool to make predictions based on the projected growth of silviculture in natural areas supporting threatened species.

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Trophic ecology, microhabitat specificity and morphology of Gymnodactylus darwinii Gray, 1845 (Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) in an Atlantic Forest remnant in north‐eastern Brazil

et al. 2023

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Ecological aspects are essential for testing hypotheses about the characteristics, evolutionary processes and behaviour patterns of different taxa. However, for many neotropical lizards, like Gymnodactylus darwinii, such information is scant in the literature. This lizard is endemic to the Atlantic rainforest, occurring from Rio Grande do Norte to São Paulo. Herein, the aspects of trophic ecology, microenvironmental specificity and sexual dimorphism were analysed from 65 collected individuals and 15 sighted individuals in two conservation units: Camucim and Tapacurá, located in São Lourenço da Mata, north‐eastern region of Brazil. The data found classify G. darwinii as a saxicolous lizard, with a preference for rocky outcrops, without sexual dimorphism. According to its trophic ecology, the species is considered a generalist and sit–wait forager. Arthropods, especially Orthoptera and Araneae, dominate the lizard's diet. Neither of these aspects differed between seasons. The present study also shows the importance of the domain conservation, with the aim to provide resources for many vertebrates, especially endemic species.

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Microhabitat use by Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata: Teiidae) in the grasslands of the Araucaria Plateau, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

Thermal biology, activity, and population parameters of Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata, Teiidae), a lizard endemic to southern Brazil

Thermal biology, activity, and population parameters of Cnemidophorus vacariensis (Squamata, Teiidae), a lizard endemic to southern Brazil

How close is danger? Relationship between the distance from an exotic tree plantation and occupancy of an endemic lizard

Trophic ecology, microhabitat specificity and morphology of Gymnodactylus darwinii Gray, 1845 (Squamata, Phyllodactylidae) in an Atlantic Forest remnant in north‐eastern Brazil

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