Patterns of throat colour variation in Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus, a high-altitude gecko endemic to the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

Abstract

bstract. The persistence of marked phenotypic variation within species is evolutionarily puzzling. We uncovered remarkable variation in throat colouration in a high-altitude gecko (Atlas Day Gecko, Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus) endemic to the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Orange, yellow, and white variants were found in approximately equal proportions in both sexes, and in juveniles and adults. The colour variants did not differ in body size or in body condition, but there was some indication that orange males have relatively longer jaws than white or yellow males. The number of mites harboured by an individual was not a function of its sex or of its throat colouration, but larger lizards did harbour more mites. Our data do not support the hypotheses that throat colour variation is due to selection pressures differing between the sexes or through ontogeny, or signals immunocompetence, but offer some support for the hypothesis that throat colour variation signals dominance. Euture investigations on the evolution of throat colour variation in this species should use spectrophotometry to obtain finer colour classification and incorporate measures of fitness.

Body condition, sex and elevation in relation to mite parasitism in a high mountain gecko

“…As expected, prevalence proved greater in males than females, with two‐thirds of the males but only half of the females parasitized. However, the intensity of infestation did not change according to sex, in agreement with another study conducted in the same area with the same species (Blouin‐Demers et al , ). High testosterone levels may imply immunosuppressive effects that, particularly in reptiles, boost ectoparasite intensity (Salvador et al , ; Olsson et al , ; Klukowski & Nelson, ).…”

Does a polymorphic species have a ‘polymorphic’ diet? A case study from a lacertid lizard

“…Lizards offer an ideal model to investigate the relationships between colour polymorphism and the ecological processes undergoing morph evolution and maintenance, as some lizard species show a significant colour polymorphism, such as Urosaurus ornatus (Thompson & Moore, ), Uta stansburiana (Sinervo & Lively, ), Podarcis melisellensis (Huyghe et al ., ), Podarcis muralis (Sacchi et al ., ) and Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus (Blouin‐Demers et al ., ). Colour polymorphism in those lizards has been shown to relate to alternative reproductive strategies (Sinervo & Lively, ; Zamudio & Sinervo, , ; Galeotti et al ., ; Olsson et al ., ) that lead to different exploitation of available resources in heterogeneous habitats (Zamudio & Sinervo, ), even if contrasting data were obtained for some species (Huyghe et al ., ).…”

Thermal constraints and the influence of reproduction on thermoregulation in a high‐altitude gecko (Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus)

“…The species is regularly observed basking close to rock crevices, often communally. A clear dimorphism in dorsal coloration and in head size exists (Blouin‐Demers et al ., ), and it is therefore possible to identify gender by sight. Gravid females show an enlargement of the abdomen and of the calcium storing endolymphatic glands located at the base of the throat as described in other geckos (Bauer, ; Ineich & Gardner, ; Brown & O'Brien, ; Brown et al ., ).…”