Abstract
Most lizards maintain quite constant body temperatures by behavioural means. Seasonal variations of environmental factors, such as temperature, sunlight exposure and wind intensity, influence lizard thermoregulatory abilities. Understanding how seasonal environmental shifts influence lizards’ thermoregulation helps us to know how they deal behaviourally with environmental changes, in general. We examined seasonal shifts (spring vs. summer) in behavioural thermoregulation in Podarcislilfordi from Binicodrell islet (Menorca, Spain). Operative temperatures varied between microhabitats and seasons, being lower in spring than in summer, regardless of sunlight exposure. Lizard body temperatures were also lower in spring than in summer. Lizards used sunny microhabitats more frequently in spring and shaded areas in summer. Habitat thermal quality was similar during both seasons, but lizards thermoregulated less accurately in spring than in summer. Thermoregulatory effectiveness was low in spring (0.28) and moderate in summer (0.76). In comparison with previously published results, our findings showed the marked seasonal variation in the effectiveness of thermoregulation amongst island populations, which should be considered in future comparative studies.
Highlights
As ectotherms, lizards’ performance and fitness depend on their body temperatures (Angilletta 2009)
Body temperatures varied seasonally when correcting by Ta variation (F1, 80 = 63.663, p < 0.0001)
Linear regression slopes between Tb and environmental temperatures were similar for both seasons (Tb – Ta: F1, 75 = 0.010, p = 0.919; Tb – Ts: F1, 75 = 1.599, p = 0.210; Fig. 2)
Summary
Lizards’ performance and fitness depend on their body temperatures (Angilletta 2009). Key Words temperature, behavioural thermoregulation, seasonality, lacertids, islands, Balearic lizard, environmental changes Mediterranean lacertids usually thermoregulate more effectively in the summer, when environmental temperatures are higher, than in the spring (Ortega and Martín-Vallejo 2018).
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