Microhabitat humidity rather than food availability drives thermo-hydroregulation responses to drought in a terrestrial lizard

<p>The content of this archive includes raw data and metadata for the paper &quot;Microhabitat humidity rather than food availability drives thermo-hydroregulation responses to drought in a terrestrial lizard&quot; by Bodineau et al. In this experimental study, we investigated how microclimate conditions and food availability influence thermo-hydroregulation strategies and body condition of lizards (Zootoca vivipara) during a simulated drought. We found that water restriction and food deprivation caused physiological alterations such as muscle catabolism and mobilization of caudal energy reserves. Lizards developed behavioural strategy to counteract water and food deprivation like decreased thermoregulation effort, higher shelter use and increased eye closure behaviours. Hydric quality of the shelter rather than food availability was the main modulator of trade-offs between thermoregulatory and hydroregulatory activities and an important buffer against the deleterious effects of water restriction. These original findings challenge the assumptions of mechanistic models of ectotherms, which are currently calibrated on the thermal biology of ectotherms. They demonstrate the urgent need to take into account the dual effect of warming and drought events, behavioural interactions between thermoregulation and hydroregulation and the buffering role of microclimatic conditions.</p>