The effect of body size on the thermoregulation of lizards on hot, dry Mediterranean islands

Sagonas, Kostas; Meiri, Shai; Valakos, Efstratios D.; Pafilis, Panayiotis

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2012.11.006

Cited by 43 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Previous studies have indicated that T set or T p is affected by season, sex, age, reproduction, and body size (Andrews et al , Carretero et al , Carretero , Veríssimo and Carretero , Sagonas et al ). In this study, though sites differed considerably among the study populations in terms of elevation, thermal quality, and moisture, no impact was observed on T p .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The lowest thermoregulatory effectiveness (smaller

−

) was observed in NLE, the site with the highest thermal quality. In other words, all populations obey the general rule predicting that lizards living in demanding habitats exert more thermoregulatory effort to achieve T b ‐values close to their preferred temperatures (Hertz et al , Blouin‐Demers and Nadeau , Sagonas et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fine with heat, problems with water: microclimate alters water loss in a thermally adapted insular lizard

Belasen

Brock

et al. 2016

Oikos

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Global change, including habitat isolation and climate change, has both short‐ and long‐term impacts on wildlife populations. For example, genetic drift and inbreeding result in genetic impoverishment in small, isolated populations, while species undergo range shifts or adaptive phenotypic change in response to shifts in environmental temperatures. In this study, we utilize a model system in which Holocene landscape changes have occurred to examine long‐term effects of population isolation. To examine how isolation may constrain responses to climate change, we characterized ecophysiology across land‐bridge island populations of Erhard's wall lizard Podarcis erhardii. We hypothesized that 1) small, isolated populations that are likely genetically depauperate would exhibit lower phenotypic variability; and 2) populations would be adapted to local microhabitat conditions. We compared a population at a low elevation site on the large island of Naxos with two small populations on nearby islets to determine the effects of population fragmentation. We further compared the low elevation Naxos population with two high elevation sites characterized by disparate microclimates to examine the effects of microclimate. To assess the thermal biology and ecophysiological limits of the study species we measured operative body temperatures (Te), field body temperatures (Tb), preferred temperatures (Tp), thermal tolerances (CTmax and CTmin), and evaporative water loss (EWL). Our results indicate that small, isolated populations did not exhibit thermal biology or evaporative water loss, while EWL and thermoregulatory effort varied according to microhabitat characteristics. This study integrates fine‐scale measurements with environmental data to provide a holistic view of the relationships between ecophysiology, fragmentation, and microclimate. Our methods can be applied to other ectotherms to gain a better understanding of potential impacts of global change on natural populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The lowest thermoregulatory effectiveness (smaller

−

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine with heat, problems with water: microclimate alters water loss in a thermally adapted insular lizard

Belasen

Brock

et al. 2016

Oikos

Self Cite

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“…We also included SVL as a covariate in models because body size has been linked with escape behaviours in many ectotherms (Cooper 2000;Miller et al 2011;Sagonas et al 2013). Given that temperature affected endurance measurements, and this varied between the sexes, we used residuals from a model with sex, SVL, temperature and a sex*temperature interaction as our measure of endurance in the FID, FD and RU models.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex- and performance-based escape behaviour in an Asian agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus vlangalii

Noble

et al. 2014

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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In lizards, males are predicted to sprint faster and run for longer than females by virtue of higher testosterone levels and differences in morphology. Consequently, escape behaviour is also predicted to be associated with sex and locomotor performance, yet these links have rarely been explored. Here, we tested whether escape behaviour is associated with locomotor performance in the toad-headed agama, Phrynocephalus vlangalii, and whether it is sex-dependent. This species is also characterized by elaborate tail displays, which we examined as a potential pursuit-deterrent signal. Tail waves were performed by a very small proportion (2/58, 3 %) of individuals during predatory trials, suggesting that tail signalling functions exclusively in a social context. To understand the relationships between sex, escape behaviour and performance, we first measured escape behaviour (flight initiation distance, flight distance-measured differently compared to previous studies of lizard escape behaviour, and refuge use) in the field before measuring maximal sprint speed and endurance on the same individuals in the laboratory. Flight initiation distance did not differ between the sexes and was unrelated to performance capacity (maximal endurance and sprint speed) but was positively related to body size with larger individuals fleeing earlier. Males fled farther than females, but flight distance was also unrelated to either endurance or sprint speed. Interestingly, faster females were less likely to enter a refuge than slower females, whereas sprint speed and the probability of taking refuge were unrelated for males. Our results suggest that when males and females are not obviously sexually dimorphic, they are more likely to overlap in escape tactics.

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“…Despite the growing body of evidence regarding the effects of interspecific variables on the thermal biology of ectothermic organisms (Sagonas et al, 2013;Tang et al, 2013;Huey and Pianka, 2007), few studies have focused on fish. In addition to field experiments, Pearson et al (2003) stated that research on the thermal biology of an organism should also include a laboratory component so that thermal preferences observed in the wild can be compared to those observed under controlled conditions.…”

Section: Variables Influencing Thermal Habitat Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal thermal ecology of adult walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Huron and Lake Erie

Peat

Hayden

Gutowsky

et al. 2015

Journal of Thermal Biology

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The effect of body size on the thermoregulation of lizards on hot, dry Mediterranean islands

Cited by 43 publications

References 51 publications

Fine with heat, problems with water: microclimate alters water loss in a thermally adapted insular lizard

Fine with heat, problems with water: microclimate alters water loss in a thermally adapted insular lizard

Sex- and performance-based escape behaviour in an Asian agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus vlangalii

Seasonal thermal ecology of adult walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Huron and Lake Erie

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