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Doucette LI, Duncan RP, Osborne WS, Evans M, Georges A, Gruber B, Sarre SD. Climate warming drives a temperate-zone lizard to its upper thermal limits, restricting activity, and increasing energetic costs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9603. [PMID: 37311881 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35087-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lizards are considered vulnerable to climate change because many operate near their thermal maxima. Exposure to higher temperatures could reduce activity of these animals by forcing them to shelter in thermal refugia for prolonged periods to avoid exceeding lethal limits. While rising temperatures should reduce activity in tropical species, the situation is less clear for temperate-zone species where activity can be constrained by both low and high temperatures. Here, we measure the effects of natural variation in environmental temperatures on activity in a temperate grassland lizard and show that it is operating near its upper thermal limit in summer even when sheltering in thermal refuges. As air temperatures increased above 32 °C, lizard activity declined markedly as individuals sought refuge in cool microhabitats while still incurring substantial metabolic costs. We estimate that warming over the last two decades has required these lizards to increase their energy intake up to 40% to offset metabolic losses caused by rising temperatures. Our results show that recent increases in temperature are sufficient to exceed the thermal and metabolic limits of temperate-zone grassland lizards. Extended periods of high temperatures could place natural populations of ectotherms under significantly increased environmental stress and contribute to population declines and extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa I Doucette
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.
- Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, 136 Exhibition Street, Kentville, NS, B4N 4ES, Canada.
| | - Richard P Duncan
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - William S Osborne
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Murray Evans
- Conservation Research, Environment and Planning Directorate, ACT Government, Mitchell, ACT, 2911, Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Bernd Gruber
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Stephen D Sarre
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia.
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Valdez Ovallez FM, Erostarbe AV, Cocilio RN, Gómez Alés R, Fernández R, Acosta R, Blanco G, Acosta JC, Corrales L. Microhabitat use and selection by Pristidactylus scapulatus (Squamata Leiosauridae) in the Puna region of the Central Andes in Argentina. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2022.2120085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franco M. Valdez Ovallez
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Libertador Gral. José San Martín 1109 (O) CP: 5400, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Ana Victorica Erostarbe
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Libertador Gral. José San Martín 1109 (O) CP: 5400, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Nieva Cocilio
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Libertador Gral. José San Martín 1109 (O) CP: 5400, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Libertador Gral. José San Martín 1109 (O) CP: 5400, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Ruben Fernández
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Libertador Gral. José San Martín 1109 (O) CP: 5400, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Graciela Blanco
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Juan C. Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
| | - Lucas Corrales
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido (DIBIOVA), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O) CPA: J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Libertador Gral. José San Martín 1109 (O) CP: 5400, San Juan, Argentina
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Thaler R, Ortega Z, Ferreira VL. Extrinsic traits consistently drive microhabitat decisions of an arboreal snake, independently of sex and personality. Behav Processes 2022; 199:104649. [PMID: 35525479 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
One pivotal topic on habitat selection is to understand the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the selection process. Although the effect of some extrinsic variables and sex has been extensively studied, almost nothing is known about the effect of personality, particularly on snakes. Here we addressed the relative importance of extrinsic (tree-related) and intrinsic (sex and personality) factors driving microhabitat selection decisions of a nocturnal tree snake (Leptodeira annulata). We implemented a protocol to quantify the influence of personality and sex on the role of extrinsic variables on microhabitat selection. First, we conducted three behavioral experiments to extract the shyness-boldness and avoidance-exploitation personality traits of male snakes. Then, we evaluated the role of sex and personality on the effect of tree-traits (thickness, canopy cover and shelter availability) on microhabitat selection, using two-step conditional logistic regression. Snakes consistently selected tree trunks, preferably thick and with high canopy cover and shelter availability, independently of their sex of personality. For this species, only extrinsic variables determined microhabitat decisions. Our protocol will aid to quantify the role of personality on microhabitat selection of other species and understand whether this is an important variable in habitat decision-making or not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Thaler
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, ZIP 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
| | - Zaida Ortega
- Laboratory of Movement and Population Ecology, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação,Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, ZIP 79070-900, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; Zoology Department, University of Granada, Granada, ZIP 18071, Granada, Spain (present address).
| | - Vanda L Ferreira
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Herpetologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, ZIP 79070-900, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul,.
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