Thermoregulatory behavior varies with altitude and season in the sceloporine mesquite lizard

Diet composition and its ecological drivers are rarely investigated in coexisting closely related species. We used a molecular approach to characterize the seasonal variation in diet composition in four spiny lizard species inhabiting a mountainous ecosystem. DNA metabarcoding revealed that the lizards Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S. grammicus, and S. spinosus mostly consumed arthropods of the orders Hemiptera, Araneae, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera. The terrestrial lizards S. aeneus and S. bicanthalis mostly predated ants and spiders, whereas the arboreal–saxicolous S. grammicus and saxicolous S. spinosus largely consumed grasshoppers and leafhoppers. The taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the prey was higher during the dry season than the rainy season, likely because reduced prey availability in the dry season forced lizards to diversify their diets to meet their nutritional demands. Dietary and phylogenetic composition varied seasonally depending on the species, but only dietary composition varied with altitude. Seasonal dietary turnover was greater in S. spinosus than in S. bicanthalis, suggesting site‐specific seasonal variability in prey availability; no other differences among species were observed. S. bicanthalis, which lives at the highest altitude in our study site, displayed interseasonal variation in diet breadth. Dietary differences were correlated with the species’ feeding strategies and elevational distribution, which likely contributed to the coexistence of these lizard species in the studied geographic area and beyond.

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“…Body condition of Sceloporus lizards may differ between seasons in other areas of central Mexico, though (Rivera‐Rea et al. 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA metabarcoding reveals seasonal changes in diet composition across four arthropod‐eating lizard species (Phrynosomatidae: Sceloporus)

et al. 2023

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“…Some studies have documented that S. grammicus inhabits landscapes with better thermal characteristics at elevations between 2500 and 2600 m compared to sites at higher elevations (Díaz de la Vega-Pérez, Barrios-Montiel, et al, 2019;Rivera-Rea et al, 2023). Altogether, these variables favour potential migrants when evaluating the broad-scale functional connectivity.…”

Section: Local Landscape Characteristics That Promote Potential Migrantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Likewise, some studies have shown that the thermal quality of the habitat and the thermoregulatory efficiency of this lizard are higher in agricultural areas in comparison with forest or high-altitude grassland zones (Díaz de la Vega-Pérez, Barrios-Montiel, et al, 2019;Domínguez-Godoy et al, 2022). Additionally, various studies about physiological aspects of S. grammicus have been done in mountains located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt system (TMVB; González-Morales, Rivera-Rea, Moreno-Rueda, Bastiaans, Castro-López, & Fajardo, 2021;González-Morales, Rivera-Rea, Moreno-Rueda, Bastiaans, Díaz-Albiter, et al, 2021;González-Morales et al, 2023;Plasman et al, 2020;Rivera-Rea et al, 2023). Specifically, the eastern mountainous region of the TMVB is an ideal landscape to study landscape effects on the functional connectivity of S. grammicus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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“…Variations in ambient temperature have short‐term effects on an individual's body temperature (González‐Morales et al., 2021 ; Sears, 2005 ; Tucker, 1966 ), as well as long‐term effects on key life‐history traits such as growth, survival, and reproduction (Adolph & Porter, 1996 ; Lu et al., 2018 ). For instance, lizards living at high altitudes in temperate regions undergo more significant thermal fluctuations than those living at low or high altitudes in tropical regions (Rivera‐Rea et al., 2023 ; Zamora‐Camacho et al., 2016 ). In addition, other climatic factors, such as precipitation, can indirectly affect life‐history traits like survival, age structure, and sexual dimorphism by influencing food availability (Dunham, 1988 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, lizards living at high altitudes in temperate regions undergo more significant thermal fluctuations than those living at low or high altitudes in tropical regions (Rivera-Rea et al, 2023;Zamora-Camacho et al, 2016). In addition, other climatic factors, such as precipitation, can indirectly affect life-history traits like survival, age structure, and sexual dimorphism by influencing food availability (Dunham, 1988).…”

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confidence: 99%

Life‐history evolution in the orange‐tailed skink populations living in different climates

Altunışık,

Yıldız,

Tatlı

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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The life‐history traits of ectothermic animals can be influenced by many abiotic factors, including climate. As an ectothermic species, we questioned whether the life‐history characteristics of the orange‐tailed skink (Eumeces schneiderii) populations differ between two different environments/climates. Our findings showed that the average body size of lizards living in the Mediterranean climate zone was higher than those in the continental climate zone. However, although Mediterranean population had higher mean values regarding average age, there was no discernible difference between the two climate zone populations. When considering all populations collectively, it has been discovered that the species' maximum lifespan is 18 years. Body size notably increased with age in both populations. Through the utilization of the von Bertalanffy equation, the anticipated growth parameters portrayed a highly accurate connection between age and snout–vent length. In conclusion, lizards living in habitats characterized by milder Mediterranean climates were found to have larger body sizes than continental populations, but both populations were comparable in terms of mean age. This difference can be explained by several factors, including activation time, temperature, precipitation, food abundance, and the presence of predators.

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Thermoregulatory behavior varies with altitude and season in the sceloporine mesquite lizard

Cited by 10 publications

References 67 publications

DNA metabarcoding reveals seasonal changes in diet composition across four arthropod‐eating lizard species (Phrynosomatidae: Sceloporus)

DNA metabarcoding reveals seasonal changes in diet composition across four arthropod‐eating lizard species (Phrynosomatidae: Sceloporus)

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

Life‐history evolution in the orange‐tailed skink populations living in different climates

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