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Abstract
The number of individuals with empty stomachs in a population (i.e. the proportion of individuals "running on empty") can be used as a simple index of instantaneous energy balance of some organisms such as lizards and fishes. In this study, we aimed to analyze the proportion of empty stomachs in 16 populations of five cnemidophorine species (Glaucomastix abaetensis, Ameivula ocellifera, Glaucomastix littoralis, Contomastix lacertoides and Ameivula nativo) along approximately 5,000 km the Brazilian coast. A total of 550 individuals had their stomach contents removed and identified in the laboratory. Our results showed that the proportion of individuals "running on empty" varied from 0 to 11.1% among the different populations and species. These proportions are suggestive that the five studied species would be in an overall positive energy balance at the time of the study.
Highlights
The proportion of individuals having empty stomachs should indicate the energy balance of a given population (Huey et al, 2001)
We analyzed the proportion of empty stomachs in five diurnal cnemidophorine species (G. abaetensis, A. ocellifera, A. nativo, G. littoralis, and C. lacertoides) known to occur along the Brazilian eastern coast to obtain a relative estimate of their different rates of instantaneous energy balance
We analyzed a total of 550 cnemidophorine individuals, ranging from 23 specimens of Glaucomastix abaetensis to 237 specimens of Ameivula nativo (Table 1)
Summary
The proportion of individuals having empty stomachs should indicate the energy balance of a given population (Huey et al, 2001). The number of individuals “running on empty” in a population has been used as a simple index of instantaneous energy balance of organisms such as lizards (Huey et al, 2001) and fishes (Arrington et al, 2002). A study on feeding ecology of 16 populations from five cnemidophorine species along approximately 5,000 km the Brazilian coast, showed that they are omnivorous and feed mainly on insect larvae and termites (Menezes et al, in prep).
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Schedule a callMore From: Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
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