Lower Predation with Increasing Altitude in the Mesquite Lizard Sceloporus grammicus

Domínguez-Godoy, Miguel A.; Gómez-Campos, J. Erick; Hudson, Robyn; Vega‐Pérez, Aníbal H. Díaz de la

doi:10.3398/064.080.0401

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Likewise, it has been described that in the presence of predators, aggressive displays among conspecifics decrease (Zani et al., 2013). However, contrary to what might be expected, we found the lowest intensity of aggressive behavior in males from the site of lowest thermal quality, which was the one with the least plant cover and fewer potential predators (Domínguez‐Godoy, Gómez‐Campos et al., 2020). Therefore, it is likely that the decrease in aggressive behavior in lizards from a lower thermal quality environment found in the present study was due to prohibitive temperatures, as has been observed in other lizards (Adolph & Porter, 1993; Grant & Dunham, 1988; Lemos‐Espinal & Ballinger, 1995a), which decrease their physical activity under extreme environmental temperature conditions.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…higher metabolic rate and changes in hematic parameters, Barrios‐Montiel, 2019; González‐Morales et al., 2017; Plasman et al., 2020), and behavioral strategies (e.g. decreased locomotor activity, Lemos‐Espinal & Ballinger, 1995a) that, together with low predation pressure (Domínguez‐Godoy, Gómez‐Campos et al., 2020), allow it to cope with the extremely low‐temperature conditions that prevail in high mountain environments and increasing the probability of survival (Domínguez‐Godoy, Hudson et al., 2020). Then, the reduction in aggressive behavior at the lower thermal quality location found in our study could be a behavioral adaptation to a low‐temperature environment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Too cool to fight: Is ambient temperature associated with male aggressive behavior in the mesquite lizard?

et al. 2022

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Aggressive behavior is performed in the context of intraspecific competition for gaining access to mates, food, or suitable territories. However, aggressive confrontations may divert time and energy from other important activities and increase the likelihood of suffering physical injury or predation. Aggressive behavior is particularly costly for ectotherms because it may reduce the time available for thermoregulation, which is a time‐consuming activity but indispensable for adequate maintenance of metabolic processes. In this study, we analyzed the long‐term effect of the thermal quality (i.e. the degree of discrepancy between the temperatures available in a given environment and temperatures that animals prefer) on the aggressive behavior of the mesquite lizard Sceloporus grammicus. Our hypothesis was that time allocated to aggressive behavior in low thermal quality environments is diverted from time spent on the acquisition and maintenance of an adequate body temperature. Accordingly, we found that lizards from the low thermal quality location (i.e. low environmental temperature) exhibited less aggressive behavior than those captured in middle and high thermal quality locations. Our results show that in the low thermal quality location aggressive behavior was almost absent, suggesting that this behavior may interfere with the acquisition and maintenance of an adequate body temperature. Therefore, it is likely that the benefits of thermoregulation outweigh those of aggressive behavior at low thermal quality locations.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Too cool to fight: Is ambient temperature associated with male aggressive behavior in the mesquite lizard?

et al. 2022

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“…The mesquite lizard experiences different environmental conditions across its wide geographic distribution, which have promoted morphological, behavioural and physiological changes at the population level (Domínguez-Godoy et al, 2022;González-Morales, Rivera-Rea, Moreno-Rueda, Bastiaans, Díaz-Albiter, et al, 2021;Plasman et al, 2020). These changes allow it to survive in diverse landscapes, including thermally unfavourable ones, such as mountain highlands (Domínguez-Godoy, Gómez-Campos, et al, 2020;Plasman et al, 2020). Importantly, such changes are related to local climatic conditions, mainly temperature and humidity at different elevations, which is to be expected because S. grammicus is an ectothermic organism (Díaz de la Vega-Pérez, Barrios-Montiel, et al, 2019;.…”

Section: Local Landscape Characteristics That Promote Potential Migrantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Altogether, these variables favour potential migrants when evaluating the broad-scale functional connectivity. The rate of arthropod activity increases in humid conditions, which promotes a higher feeding rate in S. grammicus and likely an increase in individual movement (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1959;Flores et al, 2023) -Godoy, Gómez-Campos, et al, 2020).…”

Section: Local Landscape Characteristics That Promote Potential Migrantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…living in rocky habitats) depending on the landscape, found between 100 and 4400 m above sea level and characterized by low dispersal (Marshall et al., 2006; Sites, 1982). It inhabits a wide variety of habitats, from deserts and scrublands to forests and mountain areas at high altitudes (Domínguez‐Godoy, Gómez‐Campos, et al., 2020; Lemos‐Espinal et al., 1998). Sceloporus grammicus is capable of inhabiting agricultural zones, where it can exhibit high abundances (Pérez‐Mendoza et al., 2013, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental and anthropogenic factors mediating the functional connectivity of the mesquite lizard along the eastern Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt

Romero‐Báez,

Murphy,

Díaz de la Vega‐Pérez

et al. 2024

Molecular Ecology

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Functional connectivity, the extent to which a landscape facilitates or impedes the dispersal of individuals across the landscape, is a key factor for the survival of species. Anthropogenic activities, such as urbanization, agriculture and roads, negatively impact functional connectivity of most species, particularly low‐vagility species like lizards. Here, we examine how a landscape modified by anthropogenic activities affects the functional connectivity, at both broad and fine scales, of a widely distributed generalist lizard Sceloporus grammicus in the eastern Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico. We estimated for the first time the species' genetic structure, gene flow and functional connectivity in agricultural and forest zones using genomic data, a comprehensive landscape characterization and novel methods including gravity models. Our results showed not only marked genetic differentiation across the study region but also that functional connectivity is maintained for tens of kilometres despite S. grammicus low vagility. Specifically, we found that substrate and air temperature facilitated connectivity over broad and fine scales, respectively, while agricultural cover, relative humidity and slope were important for connectivity and gene flow. Contrastingly, forest cover and roads favoured (broad‐scale) and limited (fine‐scale) connectivity, likely associated with movement facilitated by small forest patches and with thermoregulation. Altogether, these results support that S. grammicus alternates its thermoregulatory behaviour depending on the distance travelled and the habitat environmental conditions, and that it can disperse through relatively modified landscapes, mainly using agricultural zones. The information obtained is crucial to understanding the response of lizards to current anthropogenic pressures and their potential to adapt.

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Avoiding the effects of translocation on the estimates of the metabolic rates across an elevational gradient

2022

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Lower Predation with Increasing Altitude in the Mesquite Lizard Sceloporus grammicus

Cited by 7 publications

References 75 publications

Too cool to fight: Is ambient temperature associated with male aggressive behavior in the mesquite lizard?

Too cool to fight: Is ambient temperature associated with male aggressive behavior in the mesquite lizard?

Environmental and anthropogenic factors mediating the functional connectivity of the mesquite lizard along the eastern Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt

Avoiding the effects of translocation on the estimates of the metabolic rates across an elevational gradient

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