Thermoregulation of two sympatric species of horned lizards in the Chihuahuan Desert and their local extinction risk

Lara‐Reséndiz, Rafael A.; Gadsden, Héctor; Rosen, Philip C.; Sinervo, Barry; Cruz, Fausto R. Méndez–de la

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.11.010

Cited by 55 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…A similar scenario appeared in two Phrynosoma species from the Chihuahuan Desert with environmental temperatures similar to the ones in our study (Lara‐Reséndiz et al. ). These species had a lower T sel (32.5–36°C and 31.1–36.5°C) and a higher CT max (47.9°C; Prieto and Whitford ), and T b of the species was above T sel in up to 64.6% of the cases (Lara‐Reséndiz et al.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…These species had a lower T sel (32.5–36°C and 31.1–36.5°C) and a higher CT max (47.9°C; Prieto and Whitford ), and T b of the species was above T sel in up to 64.6% of the cases (Lara‐Reséndiz et al. ). In these examples, the wide range between T sel and CT max means that the lizard can maintain a T b above T sel yet still maintain a thermal buffer minimizing the risk of approaching CT max , unlike what we found for P. husabensis .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermoregulatory behavior and high thermal preference buffer impact of climate change in a Namib Desert lizard

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Knowledge of the thermal ecology of a species can improve model predictions for temperatureinduced population collapse, which in light of climate change is increasingly important for species with limited distributions. Here, we use a multi-faceted approach to quantify and integrate the thermal ecology, properties of the thermal habitat, and past and present distribution of the diurnal, xeric-adapted, and active-foraging Namibian lizard Pedioplanis husabensis (Sauria: Lacertidae) to model its local extinction risk under future climate change scenarios. We asked whether climatic conditions in various regions of its range are already so extreme that local extirpations of P. husabensis have already occurred, or whether this micro-endemic species is adapted to these extreme conditions and uses behavior to mitigate the environmental challenges. To address this, we collected thermoregulation and climate data at a micro-scale level and combined it with micro-and macroclimate data across the species' range to model extinction risk. We found that P. husabensis inhabits a thermally harsh environment, but also has high thermal preference. In cooler parts of its range, individuals are capable of leaving thermally favorable conditions-based on the species' thermal preference-unused during the day, probably to maintain low metabolic rates. Furthermore, during the summer, we observed that individuals regulate at body temperatures below the species' high thermal preference to avoid body temperatures approaching the critical thermal maximum. We find that populations of this species are currently persisting even at the hottest localities within the species' geographic distribution. We found no evidence of range shifts since the 1960s despite a documented increase in air temperatures. Nevertheless, P. husabensis only has a small safety margin between the upper limit of its thermal preference and the critical thermal maximum and might undergo range reductions in the near future under even the most moderate climate change scenarios.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermoregulatory behavior and high thermal preference buffer impact of climate change in a Namib Desert lizard

et al. 2017

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“…comm.) as does the fit for a Phrynosomatid species in Mexico (Lara‐Resendiz et al ); therefore our models represent typical arid environment lizards relatively well.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 55%

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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“…Unlike most thermal gradient apparatuses used in thermal biology studies (Klein et al, 1992; Burns et al, 1996; Zdanovich, 2006; Lourdais et al, 2013; Lara-Reséndiz et al, 2015), we were able to create a broad gradient representing an ecologically relevant temperature range, control for humidity, avoid feeding confounders, avoid invasive temperature measurement techniques, and maintain animals for substantial time periods. While we did not control for spatial preferences within the apparatuses in our validation trials, testing for temperature preferences while controlling for spatial distribution within each apparatus could easily be done by alternating the direction of the temperature gradient on each shelf or by including identical apparatuses held at a constant temperature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An efficient and inexpensive method for measuring long-term thermoregulatory behavior

Sauer

Sperry

Rohr

2016

Journal of Thermal Biology

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Thermoregulatory ability and behavior influence organismal responses to their environment. By measuring thermal preferences, researchers can better understand the effects that temperature tolerances have on ecological and physiological responses to both biotic and abiotic stressors. However, because of funding limitations and confounders, measuring thermoregulation can often be difficult. Here, we provide an effective, affordable (∼$50 USD per unit), easy to construct, and validated apparatus for measuring the long-term thermal preferences of animals. In tests, the apparatus spanned temperatures from 9.29 to 33.94 °C, and we provide methods to further increase this range. Additionally, we provide simple methods to non-invasively measure animal and substrate temperatures and to prevent temperature preferences of the focal organisms from being confounded with temperature preferences of its prey and its humidity preferences. To validate the apparatus, we show that it was capable of detecting individual-level consistency and among individual-level variation in the preferred body temperatures of Southern toads (Anaxyrus terrestris) and Cuban tree frogs (Osteopilus septentrionalis) over three-weeks. Nearly every aspect of our design is adaptable to meet the needs of a multitude of study systems, including various terrestrial amphibious, and aquatic organisms. The apparatus and methods described here can be used to quantify behavioral thermal preferences, which can be critical for determining temperature tolerances across species and thus the resiliency of species to current and impending climate change.

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Thermoregulation of two sympatric species of horned lizards in the Chihuahuan Desert and their local extinction risk

Cited by 55 publications

References 51 publications

Thermoregulatory behavior and high thermal preference buffer impact of climate change in a Namib Desert lizard

Thermoregulatory behavior and high thermal preference buffer impact of climate change in a Namib Desert lizard

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

An efficient and inexpensive method for measuring long-term thermoregulatory behavior

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