Occurrence and ecological aspects of the two-fingered skink<i>Chalcides mauritanicus</i>in the Chafarinas Islands in North Africa

Martı́n, José; García‐Roa, Roberto; Ortega, Jesús; López, Pílar; Pérez‐Cembranos, Ana; León, Alicia; García, Luis V.; Pérez-Mellado, Valentı́n

doi:10.1080/21564574.2015.1034792

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The most plausible explanation for these differences between epigeal and fossorial reptiles may be that underground burrowing movements are energetically costly for fossorial reptiles [ 19 , 22 , 28 ], but see [ 62 ], as movements are also costly for subterranean rodents [ 63 , 64 ]. Probably due to these locomotory constraints, amphisbaenians [ 31 , 65 ], other fossorial reptiles [ 66 – 69 ], and also fossorial rodents [ 70 ], usually select microhabitats with sandy loose soils that are easier for burrowing. These patterns of soil selection might restrict the availability of areas suitable for amphisbaenians, and this limitation might initially be considered as a potential reason for the observed limited movements.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Going underground: short- and long-term movements may reveal the fossorial spatial ecology of an amphisbaenian

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The movement and spatial ecology of an animal depends on its morphological and functional adaptations to its environment. In fossorial animals, adaptations to the underground life help to face peculiar ecological challenges, very different from those of epigeal species, but may constrain their movement ability. Methods We made a long-term capture-recapture study of the strictly fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni to analyze its long-term movement patterns. We also used passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry to detect and follow undisturbed individuals underground, obtaining data of their short-term movement patterns. Results Amphisbaenians showed a high site fidelity, moving short distances and over small areas, and spending some days without any noticeable movement, even under favorable conditions. We also found differences in movements between sexes and age classes. Conclusions This movement and spatial strategy can be related to the energetic constrains of underground burrowing, or to the low metabolic requirements of fossorial reptiles, as distances and areas covered were much smaller than for epigeal reptiles of similar size. Individual differences probably reflect differential reproductive and social requirements of males and females, and that younger individuals might show more floating behavior until they can settle in a territory. This study is a rare example describing the movement ecology of a fossorial species and may contribute to the general understanding of the factors that affect space use and movement decisions in animals.

show abstract