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3,538 results for “Lizard”
Data from: Form function relationships support fast ecological shift in a lizard
<p>Macroevolutionary changes such as variation in habitat use or diet are often associated with convergent, adaptive changes in morphology. However, it is still unclear how small-scale morphological variation at the population level can drive shifts in ecology as observed at a macroevolutionary scale. Here, we address this question by investigating how variation in cranial form and feeding mechanics relate to rapid changes in diet in an insular lizard (<em>Podarcis siculus</em>) after experimental introduction into a new environment. We first quantified differences in the skull and jaw muscle architecture between the source and introduced population using 3D geometric morphometrics and dissections. Next, we tested the impact of the observed variation in morphology on the mechanical performance of the masticatory system using computer-based biomechanical simulation techniques. Our results show that the small differences in shape, combined with variation in muscle architecture, can result in significant differences in performance allowing access to novel trophic resources. The confrontation of these data with the already described macroevolutionary relationships between cranial form and function in these insular lizards provides insights into how selection can, over relatively short time scales, drive major changes in ecology through its impact on mechanical performance.</p>
Corticosterone treatment results in fat deposition and body mass maintenance without effects on feeding behaviour or immunity in female lizards (Tropidurus catalanensis)
<p>In different life history stages, animals must maintain homeostasis through predictable, unpredictable and/or challenging events. Glucocorticoids (GC), hormones released in response to hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal/interrenal (HPA/HPI) axis activation, promote various behavioural and physiological adjustments on a daily manner; and in order to restore balance, after facing stressors. When GC are elevated for an extended period and in high concentrations, characterizing a chronic exposure, it can lead to deleterious effects on animals’ physiology, such as accumulation of fat bodies, changes in feeding behaviour and suppression of immune function. We aim to elucidate the effects of chronic corticosterone exposure and body condition index (BI) in fat deposition, feeding behaviour and immune function in <em>Tropidurus catalanensis</em>’ females. Thirty animals were divided in three groups: 1. Control (no experimental procedure was performed); 2. Empty Implant (animals surgically received an empty silastic tube); and 3. CORT Implant (animals surgically received one silastic tube filled with CORT). Blood samples were collected throughout the experiment to assess CORT plasma levels, total and differential leukocyte count, bacterial killing ability (BKA), and hemagglutination titer. An immune challenge using phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was conducted to measure innate and adaptive immune response. Feeding behaviour and fat bodies were also evaluated. After implantation, CORT treated animals maintained a stable body mass through weeks of captivity, while Control and Empty Implant groups displayed weight loss. In the CORT treated animals, there was also a positive relation between BI and fat bodies, and higher fat bodies deposition when compared to groups 1 and 2. No effects of CORT treatment were observed on immune response or feeding behaviour.</p>
Data for: Thermal refugia and persistence of Texas horned lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum) in small towns
<p class="MsoNormal">Vegetation loss is a primary cause of habitat degradation and results in a decline in reptile species abundance due to loss of refuge from predators and hot temperatures, and foraging opportunities. Texas horned lizards (<em>Phrynosoma cornutum</em>) have disappeared from many areas in Texas, especially from urbanized areas, probably in large part due to loss of suitable habitat. This species still occurs in some small towns in Texas that still contain suitable habitat. Long-term data from Kenedy and Karnes City, Texas indicate that when study sites experienced significant shrub and vegetation removal horned lizards declined by 79%. We hypothesize the decline was due to the degradation of the thermal landscape for these lizards. We determined the preferred temperature range (<em>T<sub>set25 </sub></em>−<em>T<sub>set75</sub></em>) of lizards at our study sites and took field measurements of body temperature (<em>T<sub>b</sub></em>). Temperature loggers were also placed in three microhabitats across our study sites. Shrubs and vegetation provided the highest quality thermal environment, especially for about 5 hours midday when temperatures in the open and buried under the surface in the open exceeded the lizards' critical maximum temperature (<em>CT<sub>max</sub></em>) or were above their preferred temperature range. Horned lizard density was positively related to the thermal quality of the habitat across our sites. Texas horned lizards in these towns require a heterogeneous mix of closely spaced microhabitats and especially thermal refugia, such as shrubs and vegetation along fence lines and in open fields. Maintaining thermal refugia is one of the most important and practical conservation actions that can be taken to help small ectotherms persist in modified human landscapes and cope with increasing temperatures due to climate change.</p>
Data from: Rapid heat hardening in embryos of the lizard Anolis sagrei
<p><span>Adaptive thermal tolerance plasticity can dampen the negative effects of warming. However, our knowledge of tolerance plasticity is lacking for embryonic stages that are relatively immobile and may benefit the most from an adaptive plastic response. We tested for heat hardening capacity (a rapid increase in thermal tolerance that manifests in minutes to hours) in embryos of the lizard <em>Anolis sagrei</em>. We compared survival of a lethal temperature exposure between embryos that either did ('hardened') or did not ('not hardened') receive a high but non-lethal temperature pre-treatment. We also measured heart rates at common garden temperatures before and after heat exposures to assess metabolic consequences. 'Hardened' embryos had significantly greater survival after lethal heat exposure relative to 'not hardened' embryos. That said, heat pre-treatment led to a subsequent increase in embryo heart rate that did not occur in embryos that did not receive pre-treatment, indicative of an energetic cost of mounting the heat hardening response. Our results are consistent with adaptive thermal tolerance plasticity in these embryos (greater heat survival after heat exposure), but also highlight associated costs. Thermal tolerance plasticity may be an important mechanism by which embryos respond to warming that warrants greater consideration. </span></p>
Rapid acceleration offsets the costs of intermittent locomotion in lizards when turning
<p>Intermittent locomotion is a common locomotor mode in small vertebrates. Pausing is thought to aid in locating a predator or prey, enhanced crypsis, lowering energy costs, and/or maneuvering around obstacles or towards a refuge. Many lizards flee predators by turning as they pass a potential refuge and subsequently pause, presumably to conceal themselves. Intermittent locomotion may be associated with turning by allowing an animal time to assess its surroundings and/or decreasing the likelihood of losing its footing before or after turning. In this study, we quantify locomotor performance and the use of intermittent locomotion in Florida Scrub Lizards (<em>Sceloporus woodi</em>) when navigating either a 45° or 90° turn. Lizards paused in 92% of all trials, and yet despite pausing, linear speed was not different prior to entering or when exiting the turn. This result suggests that turning comes at minimal cost to forward speed for lizards under these conditions. The angle of the turn had no effect on whether lizards paused, nor was there a relationship with pausing before or after the turn. Interestingly, the speed in the turn did not differ in trials with a pause before the turn vs. trials without a pause. We found that lizards increase peak acceleration following pauses to achieve similar speed, and hence explain both why, and how, intermittent locomotion is such a common strategy in predator escape.</p>
The extent of rapid colour change in male agamid lizards is unrelated to overall sexual dichromatism
<p><span>Dynamic colour change is widespread in ectothermic animals, but has primarily been studied in the context of background matching. For most species, we lack quantitative data on the extent of colour change across different contexts. It is also unclear whether and how colour change varies across body regions, and how overall sexual dichromatism relates to the extent of individual colour change. In this study, we obtained reflectance measures in response to different stimuli for males and females of six species of agamid lizards (<em>Agamidae</em>, sister family to <em>Chameleonidae</em>) comprising three closely related species pairs. We computed the colour volume in a lizard-vision colour space occupied by males and females of each species and estimated overall sexual dichromatism based on the area of non-overlapping male and female colour volumes. As expected, males had larger colour volumes than females, but the extent of colour change in males differed between species and between body regions. Notably, species that were most sexually dichromatic were not necessarily those in which males showed the greatest individual colour change. Our results indicate that the extent of colour change is independent of the degree of sexual dichromatism and demonstrate that colour change on different body regions can vary substantially even between pairs of closely related species.</span></p>
Data for the paper Prey consumption does not restore hydration state but mitigates the energetic costs of water deprivation in an insectivorous lizard
<p>Morphological and physiological data for the paper untitled "Prey consumption does not restore hydration state but mitigates the energetic costs of water deprivation in an insectivorous lizard" published in Journal of Experimental Biology in 2023</p> <p>Additionnal data on statistical analysis and model summary</p>
Data from: Lizard richness in mainland China is more strongly correlated with energy and climatic stability than with diversification rates
<p><strong><span>Aim</span></strong><span>: Contemporary environmental, historical, and evolutionary factors are increasingly used to decipher the drivers of spatial patterns of species richness. Evidence of such correlations for Chinese reptiles is scarce and poorly understood. We therefore explored the validity of the environmental capacity, historical climatic stability, and diversification rates hypotheses on Chinese lizard richness.</span></p> <p><span><strong>Location</strong>:</span><span> Mainland China</span></p> <p><span><strong>Taxon</strong>:</span><span> Squamata: Sauria</span></p> <p><strong><span>Methods</span></strong><span>: We mapped the distribution ranges of all 237 lizards in mainland China using a combination of different datasets. We used current environmental conditions (ambient energy, environmental productivity, and habitat heterogeneity), historical climate stability indices (long-term: since ~3.3 Ma and short-term: since the Last Glacial Maximum), and mean tip diversification rates to test whether current environmental conditions, historical climate change, and diversification rates drive contemporary richness patterns of lizards in China. We applied piecewise structural equation models (pSEM) to jointly evaluate our hypotheses, considering direct and indirect effects.</span></p> <p><strong><span>Results</span></strong><span>: Chinese lizards showed latitudinal diversity gradients. We found consistent support for contemporary climatic and environmental factors' relationships with richness. Richness was also positively correlated with short-term climatic stability, but less so with long-term stability. Diversification rates were only seldom found to be positively correlated with lizard richness.</span></p> <p><span><strong>Main conclusions</strong>:</span><span> Our results support the</span> <span>environmental capacity and historical climate hypotheses, which link high richness to highly productive warm and stable regions (and low richness to cold and unstable regions). We conclude that post-speciation dispersal and short-term climatic oscillations quickly swamp the long-term signal of diversification rates and climatic fluctuations, creating strong current climate-richness associations.</span></p>
Data from: Reconstructing the complex colonization histories of lizards across Mediterranean archipelagos
<p><strong>Aim</strong>: The Mediterranean Basin is a global biodiversity hotspot and has one of the longest histories of human-biota interactions. Islands host a large fraction of Mediterranean diversity and endemism, but the relative importance of natural vs. human-mediated colonization processes in shaping the distribution and genetic structure of Mediterranean island fauna remains poorly understood. Here, we combine population genomics, demographic models and palaeoshoreline reconstructions to establish the island-colonization dynamics of wall lizards in Mediterranean archipelagos.</p> <p><strong>Location</strong>: Four Mediterranean Archipelagos in Italy and Croatia</p> <p><strong>Taxon</strong>: the wall lizard <em>Podarcis siculus</em></p> <p><strong>Methods</strong>: We used ddRAD sequencing to genotype 140 lizards from 23 island and mainland populations. Analyses of admixture and site frequency spectra were used to reconstruct population structure, demographic history, and variation of gene flow through time. Genomic results were integrated with paleogeographic reconstructions and were compared to archaeological evidence of human presence on these islands.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: Although many island populations of this species are assumed to be non-native, we find that many islands were colonized long before any known human settlements (230,000–12,000 years ago). This natural colonization most likely occurred through land bridges during glacial marine regression or by over-sea rafting. On the other hand, islands distant from the continent were often colonized recently, and some of the estimated island colonization times match historical records of human arrival. We also determine that long-established island populations generally show lower genetic diversity compared to proximate mainland populations, contrary to recently colonized islands that must have experienced higher rates of post-colonization gene flow.</p> <p><strong>Main conclusion</strong>: Our integrated approach provides us with the power to accurately quantify the origin, timing, and mode of island colonization. This framework helps to clarify the biogeographic and evolutionary history of island populations, with important implications for conservation and management of island biodiversity.</p>
Data from: Vomeronasal organ volume increases with body size and is dissociated with loss of a visual signal in Sceloporus lizards
<p>Many organisms communicate using signals in different sensory modalities (multicomponent or multimodal). When one signal or component is lost over evolutionary time, it may be indicative of changes in other characteristics of the signaling system, including the sensory organs used to perceive and process signals. <em>Sceloporus</em> lizards predominantly use chemical and visual signals to communicate, yet some species have lost the ancestral ventral color patch used in male-male agonistic interactions and exhibit increased chemosensory behavior. Here, we asked whether evolutionary loss of this sexual signal is associated with larger vomeronasal organ (VNO) volumes (an organ that detects chemical scents) compared to species that have retained the color patch. We measured VNO coronal section areas of 7–8 adult males from each of 11 <em>Sceloporus</em> species (4 that lost and 7 that retained the color patch), estimated sensory and total epithelium volume, and compared volumes using phylogenetic ANCOVA, controlling for body size. Contrary to expectations, we found that species retaining the ventral patch had similar relative VNO volumes as did species that have lost the ancestral patch, and that body size explains VNO epithelium volume. Visual signal loss may be sufficiently compensated for by increased chemosensory behavior, and the allometric pattern may indicate sensory system trade-offs for large-bodied species.</p>
A field experiment reveals reciprocal effects of host personality and parasitism in wild lizards
<p class="western"><span>Host behavior and parasite infection reciprocally interact, but this dynamic is rarely studied experimentally in the field with multiple behaviors. Using the dataset provided here, we investigated the interplay between parasitism and host behavior via an </span><span><em>in situ</em></span><span> experimental tick infestation of a wild population of sleepy lizards, </span><span><em>Tiliqua rugosa</em></span><span>. Using Bayesian models, we assessed the relationship between experimental infestation and lizard aggression and boldness before and after infestation. First, we tested whether lizard aggression and boldness prior to infestation predicted the probability of tick attachment in the infestation experiment. Second, we evaluated whether experimental infestation affected subsequent lizard aggression and boldness. We found that aggression and boldness related interactively with infestation: for unaggressive lizards, higher boldness was associated with reduced experimental infestation success, but the opposite occurred for aggressive individuals. Second, increased tick infestation did not affect post-infestation aggression, but tended to increase boldness. Taken together, these results highlight the potential for feedbacks between parasites and multi-dimensional host behaviors.</span></p>
Data from: Behavioral threat and appeasement signals take precedence over static colors in lizard contests
<p>The interplay between morphological (structures) and behavioral (acts) signals in contest assessment is still poorly understood. During contests, males of the common wall lizard (<em>Podarcis muralis</em>) display both morphological (i.e. static color patches) and behavioral (i.e. raised-body display, foot shakes) traits. We set out to evaluate the role of these putative signals in determining the outcome and intensity of contests by recording agonistic behavior in ten mesocosm enclosures. We find that contests are typically won by males with relatively more black coloration, which are also more aggressive. However, black coloration does not seem to play a role in rival assessment, and behavioral traits are stronger predictors of contest outcome and winner aggression than prior experience, morphology, and coloration. Contest intensity is mainly driven by resource- and self-assessment, with males probably using behavioral threat (raised-body displays) and de-escalation signals (foot shakes) to communicate their willingness to engage/persist in a fight. Our results agree with the view that agonistic signals used during contests are not associated with mutual evaluation of developmentally-fixed attributes, and instead animals monitor each other to ensure that their motivation is matched by their rival. We emphasize the importance of testing the effect of signals on receiver behavior and discuss that social recognition in territorial species may select receivers to neglect potential morphological signals conveying static information on sex, age, or intrinsic quality.</p>
Fig. 9. Pietraroia specimen MPN A01 in New lizards and rhynchocephalians from the Lower Cretaceous of southern Italy
Fig. 9. Pietraroia specimen MPN A01/82. Right crus and pes of MPN A01/82, digits numbered 1–5.
Whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis exsanguis) recognize invertebrate prey via cuticular hydrocarbons
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Data from: Warm nocturnal temperatures act as an ecological trap for a diurnal lizard
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How melanism affects the sensitivity of lizards to climate change
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Data from: Urban wall lizards are resilient to high levels of blood lead
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Data from: Female investment in offspring size and number shifts seasonally in a lizard with single-egg clutches
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Data from: Local adaptation in mainland anole lizards: Integrating population history and genome-environment associations
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Data for: Temperate and tropical lizards are vulnerable to climate warming due to increased water loss and heat stress
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