Functional responses in a lizard along a 3.5‐km altitudinal gradient

Abstract

AimPhysiological and metabolic performance are key mediators of the functional response of species to environmental change. Few environments offer such a multifaceted array of stressors as high‐altitude habitats, which differ markedly in temperature, water availability, UV radiation and oxygen pressure compared to low‐altitude habitats. Species that inhabit large altitudinal gradients are thus excellent models to study how organisms respond to environmental variation.LocationTenerife island, Canary Islands archipelago (Spain).TaxonTenerife lizard (Gallotia galloti, Lacertidae).MethodsWe integrated data on age structure, thermal and hydric regulatory behaviour and four metabolic and stress‐related biomarkers for an insular lizard that inhabits an extreme altitudinal range (sea level to 3700 m a.s.l.), to understand how an ectotherms' age, ecophysiology and metabolism can be affected by extreme environmental variation.ResultsWe found marked differences in metabolic stress markers associated with altitude (particularly in the abundance of carbonyl metabolites and relative telomere length), but without a linear pattern along the altitudinal cline. Contrary to expectations, longer telomeres and lower carbonyl content were detected at the highest altitude, suggesting reduced stress in these populations. Evaporative water loss differed between populations but did not follow a linear altitudinal gradient. Lizard age structure or thermal physiological performance did not markedly change across different altitudes. Mixed signals in life‐history and thermal ecology across populations and altitude suggest complex responses to variable conditions across altitude in this species.Main ConclusionsOur integrative study of multiple functional traits demonstrated that adaptation to highly divergent environmental conditions in this lizard is potentially linked to an interplay between plasticity and local adaptation variably associated with different functional traits.

Lizard host abundances and climatic factors explain phylogenetic diversity and prevalence of blood parasites on an oceanic island

“…Therefore, it is plausible that blood parasites persist as a chronic infection for several years in lizards on Tenerife. This connects to a second key factor of G. galloti ; it has a relatively long lifespan (up to 11 years; Serén et al., 2023), which, together with the chronicity of the infection, would favour the accumulation of parasite variants during the lizards' lifetime (e.g., through reinfections; Pokalyuk & Wakolbinger, 2020). This would increase the chances of lizard hosts serving as parasite donors and thus contributing to the conservation of genetic mutants in the parasite pool.…”

“…The host study species, Gallotia galloti , naturally occurs on La Palma and Tenerife. It plays a prominent role as fruit disperser in xeric habitats of Tenerife (Valido & Nogales, 1994) and is relatively long‐living (9–11 years; Castanet & Báez, 1991; Serén et al., 2023). Populations attain densities of 3500 lizards/ha on eastern lava flows of Tenerife (de los Santos & de Nicolás, 2008).…”

Environmental factors influence cross-talk between a heat shock protein and an oxidative stress protein modification in the lizard Gallotia galloti

“…Four biological replicates were obtained from each locality to yield 28 samples. Since these samples were involved in other research [ 68 ], we could not ensure balanced design of males and females, with the two highest-elevation populations sampled from females only. However, to account for this factor, sex was included as a predictor in statistical analysis.…”

“…g . galloti [ 68 ]. This suggests a combination of ecophysiological conservativeness (and, hence, phenotypic plasticity) at shallow evolutionary levels and selection on both thermal and hydric traits at deeper evolutionary levels [ 68 ].…”

Shorter telomeres are associated with shell anomalies in a long‐lived tortoise

“…Among ectotherms, reptiles are particularly interesting for studying telomere dynamics because of their phenotypic plasticity, autotomy and, in some cases longevity (Bateman et al, 2009;da Silva et al, 2022;Olsson et al, 2010Olsson et al, , 2018aOlsson et al, , 2018bReinke et al, 2022). In reptiles, the relation between TL and individual characteristics differs among clades, conspecific individuals, or even tissues and cell types of the same individual (Fitzpatrick et al, 2021;Olsson et al, 2018aOlsson et al, , 2020Olsson et al, , 2021Rollings et al, 2019;Ser en et al, 2023). Furthermore, studies on lizards, alligators and snakes have explored the effects of age, sex and life history traits, such as growth rates or reproductive investment, revealing diverse TL dynamics (Olsson et al, 2021).…”