Trophic ecology of a taxocenosis of mediterranean Lacertidae

Pollo, César J.; Pérez-Mellado, Valentı́n

doi:10.3406/ecmed.1988.1225

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“… Notes : A, this study; B, Valverde (1967) ; C, Mellado et al. (1975) ; D, P é rez-Mellado ( 1982 ); E, Di Palma (1984) ; F, Seva (1984) ; G, Pollo and P é rez-Mellado ( 1988 ); H, D í az and Carrascal ( 1990 ); I, Ortega-Rubio (1991) ; J, Gil (1992) ; K, Carretero (1993 , Aiguesmolls); L, Carretero (1993 , Torredembarra); M, Carretero and Llorente (1993) ; N, P é rez-Quintero and Rubio-Garc í a ( 1997 , El Rompido); O, P é rez-Quintero and Rubio-Garc í a ( 1997 , Asperillo); P, Rouag et al. (2007) ; Q, Bouam et al.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient

et al. 2017

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Mountains imply enormous environmental variation, with alpine habitats entailing harsh environments, especially for ectotherms such as lizards. This environmental variability also may imply variation in prey availability. However, little is known about how lizard trophic ecology varies with elevation. In this study, we analyze diet, prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lacertid lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2,200-m elevational gradient in the Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). The analysis of fecal samples has shown that Orthoptera, Formicidae, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Araneae are the main prey, although, according to their abundance in pitfall traps, Formicidae and Coleoptera are rejected by the lizard whereas Orthoptera, Hemiptera, and Araneae are preferred. Prey abundance and diversity increase with elevation and diet subtly varies along with the elevational gradient. The consumption of Coleoptera increases with elevation probably as a consequence of the lizard foraging more in open areas while basking. The electivity for Araneae increases with elevation. Araneae are rejected in the lowlands—where they are relatively abundant—whereas, at high elevation, this lizard positively selects them, despite they being less abundant. The lizard trophic niche width expands with elevation due to concomitant greater prey diversity and hence this lizard feeds on more prey types in highlands. Although no sex difference in diet has been found, the trophic niche is broader in females than males. As a whole, alpine lizards show a trophic niche similar to that found at lower elevations, suggesting that P. algirus is well adapted to the harsh environment found in alpine areas.

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Section: Discussionunclassified

Prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient

et al. 2017

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“…One was in Meroles anchietae, one of only two omnivores in Eremiainae, a primarily African clade (Harris et al, 1998) The other is Acanthodactylus erythrurus, which was omnivorous in two of ®ve studies. Another independent origin occurred within Psammodromus algirus, which is omnivorous on an island and insectivorous elsewhere (Seva, 1984;Pollo & Pe Ârez-Mellado, 1988;Sorci, 1990). One origin accounts for omnivory in all species of Gallotia.…”

Section: By Familymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Omnivory in P. hispanica occurs on an island (Pe Ârez-Mellado & Corti, 1993), but not the mainland (Pe Ârez-Mellado, 1983;Van Damme, 1999). Psammodromus hispanicus also ate more plants on an island (Pe Ârez-Mellado, 1982) than on the mainland (Pollo & Pe Ârez-Mellado, 1988). Using a 5% criterion for herbivory (Van Damme, 1999), more independent origins have occurred in Lacertidae (e.g.…”

Section: By Familymentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution, extent, and evolution of plant consumption by lizards

2002

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Animal diets crucially affect ®tness, yet many aspects of their ultimate determinants are unknown. The distribution and extent of herbivory in lizards, its evolutionary history, and ecological factors that may favour it are discussed. Most lizards are exclusively or primarily carnivorous, yet many species eat some plants and a few are almost exclusively herbivorous. Based on a literature survey of diets of over 450 lizard species, the distribution and degree of omnivory and herbivory are described. Some plants occur in the diets of slightly over half of lizard species, and plants formed 10% or more of the dietary volume of 12.1% of species, and 90% or more of the diet of 0.8% of species. The greatest percentage of omnivorous species (> 10% plant diet), over 30% in each, and highest mean percentage plant matter in the diet are in Iguanidae, Corytophanidae, Gerrhosauridae, Agamidae, Xantusiidae, and Tropiduridae. Numerous other omnivores occur in Lacertidae and Scincidae and fewer in several additional families. Herbivorous lizards (> 90% plant volume) tend to be folivorous and to possess adaptations for processing leaves, including specialized dentition for cutting or reducing leaves, elongated intestines, colic valves that slow passage of food, and intestinal¯ora that digest cellulose. Omnivorous lizards lacking such specializations may eat some leaves, but consume much more fruit,¯owers, and seeds, plant parts that are easy to digest, likely to be very abundant seasonally, and may be highly nutritious. Some lizards eat nectar and pollen; even sap is eaten by at least one gecko. Ontogenetic increase in plant consumption and decrease in prey consumption is known, but its generality has been controversial. Such ontogeny has been demonstrated in three iguanid species, a skink, a lacertid, two tropidurids, a phrynosomatid, and two corytophanids, but it does not occur in some other species. Thus, the presences of ontogenetic variation must be evaluated for each species. The importance of speci®c foods may also vary with age. Omnivory and/or herbivory have originated in many lizard families, with at least nine origins in Iguania and 23 in Scleroglossa. Origins have been rare in Gekkonoidea and Anguimorpha and common in Scincomorpha, especially in Lacertidae and Scincidae. Losses of omnivory have been much less frequent than gains. Only a few origins can account for all the herbivory in lizards. Concentrated changes tests show that there is a signi®cant association in Lacertidae, Lacertiformes, Lacertoidea, Scincidae, and Scleroglossa between insularity and omnivory. Insular lizards may broaden their diets to compensate for limited availability of prey. Addition of other factors that reduce availability of prey, i.e. extreme aridity and cave-dwelling, to insularity, strengthened the relationship to omnivory in Lacertidae and Lacertoidea. We were unable to demonstrate a role of aridity independent of insularity, but present anecdotal evidence suggests that it may promote evolution of plant consumption. Large body size in...

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“…Differences in diet have often been invoked to explain the coexistence of lacertid lizards (e.g. Nouira 1983;Strijbosch 1986;Murray & Schramm 1987;Pollo & Mellado 1988;Sorci 1990), but the morphological and behavioural correlates of these differences have seldom been explored (Herrel et al . 2001b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships between head size, bite force, prey handling efficiency and diet in two sympatric lacertid lizards

2002

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Summary 1.Relationships between morphology, bite force capacity, prey handling efficiency and trophic niche were explored in two sympatric species of lacertid lizards, Podarcis melisellensis (Braun 1877) and Lacerta oxycephala Duméril & Bibron 1839. 2. Head shape showed little variation, but head size (absolute and relative to snoutvent length, SVL) differed between species and sexes. Males have larger heads than females, both absolute and relative to their SVL. In absolute terms, male P. melisellensis have larger heads than male L. oxycephala , but the reverse case was true for the females. Relative to SVL, L. oxycephala have larger heads than P. melisellensis . 3. Bite force capacity was estimated by having the lizards bite on two metal plates, connected to a piezoelectric force transducer. Differences in maximal bite force between species and sexes paralleled differences in absolute head size. Differences in body size and head size explain the higher bite force of males (compared with females), but not the higher bite force of P. melisellensis (compared with L. oxycephala ). Among individual lizards, bite force correlated with body size and head size. 4. Prey handling efficiency, estimated by the time and number of bites needed to subdue a cricket in experimental conditions, also showed intersexual and interspecific variation. This variation corresponded to the differences in maximal bite capacity, suggesting that bite force is a determining factor in prey handling. Among individual lizards, both estimates of handling efficiency correlated with maximal bite force capacity. 5. Faecal pellet analyses suggested that in field conditions, males of both sexes select larger and harder prey than females. There was no difference between the species. The proportion of hard-bodied and large-sized prey items found in a lizard's faeces correlated positively with its bite force capacity. 6. It is concluded that differences in head and body size, through their effect on bite force capacity, may affect prey selection, either directly, or via handling efficiency.

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Trophic ecology of a taxocenosis of mediterranean Lacertidae

Cited by 23 publications

References 0 publications

Prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient

Prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient

Distribution, extent, and evolution of plant consumption by lizards

Relationships between head size, bite force, prey handling efficiency and diet in two sympatric lacertid lizards

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