Insights into the composition of gut microbiota in response to environmental temperature: The case of the Mongolia racerunner (Eremias argus)

Abstract

Gut microbiota are essential to maintain host health and fitness largely through its influence with behavior, development and reproduction of host, particular among the amniotic ectothermic reptiles. Global warming effects on the composition of the host's gut microbiota in some taxa are generally known. Previous studies on reptiles in both natural habitats and lab-reared individuals have demonstrated that temperature changes can alter the composition and function of the host's gut microbiota. However, these effects on wild-caught reptiles are not well-understood. This study investigated changes in the composition of gut microbiota of wild-caught lizards (Eremias argus), which were experimentally exposed to two different temperatures. The results showed that the increase in temperature altered the gut microbiota; both the groups showed an altered and destabilized composition of gut microbiota in response to their adaptive states. The warming did not significantly alter the relative abundances of the main gut microbial communities in both the lizard genders, but increased those of predicted pathogenic bacterial genera, including Acinetobacter, Anaerotruncus, and Dehalobacterium. These results provided insights into the ecological adaptations of Eremias argus, but the body health and fitness of wild populations, concerning temperature changes, warrant further investigations.