Habitat Use and Movement Patterns of Northern Alligator Lizards (Elgaria coerulea) and Western Skinks (Eumeces skiltonianus) in Southeastern British Columbia

Rutherford, Pamela L.; Gregory, Patrick T.

doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2003)037[0098:huampo]2.0.co;2

Cited by 17 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our results suggest that the patterns in C. versicolor are consistent with the isolation-by-distance model [65], in which gene flow decreases with increasing geographical distance because of limited dispersal. We have few data on dispersal distance in C. versicolor , but it is believed that lizards have limited dispersal abilities [66], [67], which can affect gene flow among populations [68].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversification and Demography of the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor) on Hainan Island and the Adjacent Mainland

Huang

Guo

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor) is one of the few non-gekkonid lizards that are geographically widespread in the tropics. We investigated its population dynamics on Hainan Island and the adjacent mainland of China and Vietnam, focusing on the impact of cyclic upheaval and submergence of land bridges during the Pleistocene. Our Bayesian phylogenetic analysis reveals two mitochondrial lineages, A and B, which are estimated to have coalesced about 0.26 million years ago (95% credibility interval: 0.05–0.61 million years ago). Lineage A contains individuals mainly from central and southern Wuzhi Mountain on Hainan Island, whereas lineage B mainly comprises individuals from other sites on the island plus the adjacent mainland. The estimated coalescence times within lineages A (0.05 million years ago) and B (0.13 million years ago) fall within a period of cyclical land-bridge formation and disappearance in the Pleistocene. A spatial analysis of molecular variance identified two distinct population groupings: I, primarily containing lineage A, and II, mainly consisting of lineage B. However, haplotypes from lineages A and B occur sympatrically, suggesting that gene flow is ongoing. Neither Wuzhi Mountain nor Qiongzhou Strait and Gulf of Tonkin act as barriers to gene flow among C. versicolor populations. Analyses of the data using mismatch distributions and extended Bayesian skyline plots provide evidence of a relatively stable population size through time for Group I, and moderate population expansions and contractions during the end of the Pleistocene for Group II. We conclude that the phylogeographical patterns of C. versicolor are the combined product of Pleistocene sea-level oscillations and nonphysical barriers to gene flow.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversification and Demography of the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor) on Hainan Island and the Adjacent Mainland

Huang

Guo

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Another advantage of favouring structural rich microhabitats is the larger amount of vegetation cover that effectively protects P. lineoocellata from predators (Castilla & Bauwens, 1991; Bentley, Catterball & Smith, 2000; Norbury, 2001). This is further supported by a study on Northern Alligator Lizards ( Elgaria coerulea ) and Western Skinks ( Eumeces skilonianus ) where the removal of cover was detrimental to both species (Rutherford & Gregory, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Space use of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) under different degradation states

Wasiolka

Jeltsch

Henschel

et al. 2010

African Journal of Ecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although the effects of grazing-induced savannah degradation on animal diversity are well documented, knowledge of how they affect space use or responding behaviour remains poor. In this study, we analysed space use of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) in degraded versus nondegraded habitats of southern Kalahari savannah habitats. Lizards were radio tracked, daily movement distances recorded and home range sizes calculated. In degraded Kalahari savannah habitats where plant diversity and perennial grass cover are low but shrub cover high, P. lineoocellata moves larger distances (40.88 ± 6.42 m versus 27.43 ± 5.08 m) and occupies larger home ranges (646.64 ± 244.84 m 2 versus 209.15 ± 109.84 m 2 ) than in nondegraded habitats (high plant diversity, high perennial grass cover and low shrub cover). We assume that this increase in daily movement distances and home range sizes is a behavioural plasticity to limited food resources in degraded savannah habitats. Although P. lineoocellata is able to adjust to resource-poor savannah habitats, the increase in the lizard's movement activities is likely to result in a higher predation risk. This is supported by the lower availability of protective vegetation i.e. perennial grass cover. Hence, we conclude that despite behavioural plasticity of P. lineoocellata, overgrazing has a severe negative impact on the space use of P. lineoocellata. RésuméBien que les effets de la dégradation de la savane due au pâturage sur la diversité animale soient bien documentés, on sait toujours peu de choses sur la façon dont ils affectent l'utilisation de l'espace ou les comportements de réponse. Dans cette étude, nous avons analysé l'utilisation de l'espace du lézard des sables tacheté Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata, dans des habitats de savane dégradés ou non du sud du Kalahari. Des lézards furent suivis par radio, les distances parcourues par jour furent enregistrées, et l'on a calculé la taille des domaines vitaux. Dans les habitats de savane dégradés du Kalahari, où la diversité végétale et la couverture herbacée pérenne sont faibles mais la couverture arbustive élevée, Pedioplanis lineoocellata couvre de plus grandes distances (40.88 ± 6.42 m versus 27.43 ± 5.08 m) et occupe de plus vastes domaines vitaux (646.64 ± 244.84 m 2 versus 209.15 ± 109.84 m 2 ) que dans les habitats non dégradés (grande diversité végétale, forte couverture herbacée pérenne et faible couverture arbustive). Nous supposons que cette augmentation de la distance parcourue chaque jour et de la taille des domaines vitaux est le résultat d'une plasticité comportementale face à des ressources alimentaires limitées dans les habitats dégradés de savane. Bien que P. lineoocellata soit capable de s'adapter à des habitats de savane pauvres en ressources, l'augmentation des déplacements du lézard est susceptible d'entraîner un plus grand risque de prédation. Cette hypothèse est confortée par la faible disponibilité de végétation protectrice, c.-à-d. d'une couverture herbacée pérenne. Dès lors, nous concluons...

show abstract

“…One question that arises is why the mtDNA boundary persists even when there are no obvious barriers to gene exchange. The most probable explanation is that skinks have low dispersal capabilities and strong female philopatry (Rutherford & Gregory 2003). Both theoretical and organismal examples have demonstrated that shortdistance dispersal can lead to a pattern of isolation by distance when data are averaged over a large number of markers, while maintaining deep phylogeographic breaks in any individual marker (such as mtDNA; Avise 2000; Wake & Jockusch 2000;Irwin 2002;Irwin et al 2005).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body size evolution simultaneously creates and collapses species boundaries in a clade of scincid lizards

Richmond

Jockusch

2007

Proc. R. Soc. B.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Speciation is generally viewed as an irreversible process, although habitat alterations can erase reproductive barriers if divergence between ecologically differentiated species is recent. Reversed speciation might also occur if geographical contact is established between species that have evolved the same reproductive isolating barrier in parallel. Here, we demonstrate a loss of intrinsic reproductive isolation in a clade of scincid lizards as a result of parallel body size evolution, which has allowed for gene flow where large-bodied lineages are in secondary contact. An mtDNA phylogeny confirms the monophyly of the Plestiodon skiltonianus species complex, but rejects that of two size-differentiated ecomorphs. Mate compatibility experiments show that the high degree of body size divergence imposes a strong reproductive barrier between the two morphs; however, the strength of the barrier is greatly diminished between parallel-evolved forms. Since two large-bodied lineages are in geographical contact in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, we were also able to test for postzygotic isolation under natural conditions. Analyses of amplified fragment length polymorphisms show that extensive gene exchange is occurring across the contact zone, resulting in an overall pattern consistent with isolation by distance. These results provide evidence of reversed speciation between clades that diverged from a common ancestor more than 12Myr ago.

show abstract

Habitat Use and Movement Patterns of Northern Alligator Lizards (Elgaria coerulea) and Western Skinks (Eumeces skiltonianus) in Southeastern British Columbia

Cited by 17 publications

References 33 publications

Diversification and Demography of the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor) on Hainan Island and the Adjacent Mainland

Diversification and Demography of the Oriental Garden Lizard (Calotes versicolor) on Hainan Island and the Adjacent Mainland

Space use of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) under different degradation states

Body size evolution simultaneously creates and collapses species boundaries in a clade of scincid lizards

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About