Science and Technology Production
Article
Authorship
Date
2021
Publishing House and Editing Place
NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS
Magazine
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(pp. 773-782)
NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS
Summary
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The body temperature of lizards is strongly influenced by the thermal quality of microhabitats, exploiting thefavourable environmental temperatures, and avoiding exposure to extreme thermal conditions. For these reasons, reptilepopulations are considered to be especially vulnerable to changes in environmental temperatures produced by climatechange. Here, we study the thermal physiology of the critically endangered Añelo Sand Dunes Lizard (Liolaemus cuyumhueAvila, Morando, Perez and Sites...
The body temperature of lizards is strongly influenced by the thermal quality of microhabitats, exploiting thefavourable environmental temperatures, and avoiding exposure to extreme thermal conditions. For these reasons, reptilepopulations are considered to be especially vulnerable to changes in environmental temperatures produced by climatechange. Here, we study the thermal physiology of the critically endangered Añelo Sand Dunes Lizard (Liolaemus cuyumhueAvila, Morando, Perez and Sites, 2009). We hypothesise that (i) there is a thermal coadaptation between optimal temperaturefor locomotor performance of L. cuyumhue and its thermal preference; (ii) L. cuyumhue lives in an environment with lowthermal quality; and (iii) a rise in environmental temperatures due to global warming will impose a decrement in locomotorspeed represented by lower warming tolerance and narrower thermal safety margins, increasing their already high vulnerability.We recorded field body temperatures (Tb), preferred body temperatures (Tpref), the operative temperature (Te),and the thermal sensitivity of locomotion at different body temperatures. Our results indicate that this lizard is not currentlyunder environmental stress or exceeding its thermal limits, but that it is thermoregulating below Tpref to avoid overheating,and that an increase in environmental temperature higher than 3.5 °C will strongly affect the use of microhabitatswith direct sun exposure.
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Key Words
lizardvulnerableclimate changeLiolaemus cuyumhue