Geographic patterns of stress in insular lizards reveal anthropogenic and climatic signatures

Phenological and intrinsic predictors of mite and haemacoccidian infection dynamics in a Mediterranean community of lizards

“…The absence of haemogregarines (e.g. genera Hepatozoon or Karyolysus ) in the studied area despite these being common parasites of lizards (Haklová-Kočíková et al ., 2014; Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 a , 2020 b ), including P. algirus (Álvarez-Ruiz et al ., 2018) suggests that environmental conditions in the Albufera de Valencia favour the transmission of haemococcidians, but, for some reason, not other common parasites of lizards. This highlights questions on vectorial competence as well as vector diversity (O'Donoghue, 2017).…”

“…The most common are haemogregarines (Roca and Galdón, 2010; Maia et al ., 2014; Álvarez-Ruiz et al ., 2018; Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 b ). They are transmitted by haematophagous mites of the genus Ophionyssus (Reichenow, 1919; Svahn, 1975; Haklová-Kočíková et al ., 2014), and the potential drivers governing their prevalence and intensity are only starting to be understood (Álvarez-Ruiz et al ., 2018; Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 a ).…”

“…This may increase their susceptibility to parasitic infections (Oppliger et al ., 1998 ). Thus, variation in parasite abundance in correlation with environmental gradients of stress can be interpreted as biomarkers of environmental costs on the hosts’ immune defences (Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 a ). Besides spatial covariation with environmental stress, the abundance of parasites may vary locally with phenology (e.g.…”

“…As commented, sources of stress are positively associated with haemogregarine abundances in lizards (Oppliger et al ., 1996 , 1998 ; Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 a ). One important source of environmental stress in Mediterranean habitats may be an increasing constriction in the availability of favourable thermal microhabitats for lizards due to raising temperatures towards summer (Díaz et al ., 2006 ; Vickers et al ., 2011 ).…”

“…Although lizards in Mediterranean environments may acclimate to increasing temperatures by accommodation of their thermal preferences (Díaz et al ., 2006 ; Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 c ), this thermo-physiological shift might have costs on lizards (Vickers et al ., 2011 ). Thermal restrictions have immunosuppressant effects on lizards (Han et al ., 2020 ), with gravid females demonstrating higher thermal sensitivity influenced by an additive effect of dehydration (Dupoué et al ., 2020 ; Megía-Palma et al ., 2020 a ). Stressed lizards, by this or other reasons, exhibit a lower ability to heal cutaneous wounds or a reduced immune response (Lucas and French, 2012 ; Sprayberry et al ., 2019 ; Han et al ., 2020 ).…”