Abstract
ABSTRACTDifferential microhabitat use may be beneficial to achieving fitness in seasonally variable environmental conditions. To explore whether the microhabitat use of the nocturnal Schlegel’s Japanese gecko, Gekko japonicus, varies seasonally and depends on juvenile, male, and female reproductive groups, we investigated five categorical and five quantitative measure variables of microhabitat use in a wild population both in spring and summer. Most geckos were found on white, vertical planes of concrete and plastered brick walls. None of the categorical variables (type of location, substrate, substrate color, light source, and refuge) significantly differed according to season or group, while substrate temperature and irradiance at the location where geckos were observed and the distance from the nearest potential refuge were significantly greater in summer than in spring. The quantitative measure variables did not differ among the reproductive groups. These results suggest that G. japonicus seasonally adjusts its microhabitat use mainly in terms of quantitative measure variables rather than categorical variables.
Highlights
The use of appropriate microhabitats by animals may increase their fitness in terms of predator avoidance, efficient feeding, successful breeding, and environmental stress tolerance (Anderson 2007)
These results suggest that G. japonicus seasonally adjusts its microhabitat use mainly in terms of quantitative measure variables rather than categorical variables
Unlike the quantitative measure variables, none of the categorical variables significantly differed among seasons and reproductive groups
Summary
The use of appropriate microhabitats by animals may increase their fitness in terms of predator avoidance, efficient feeding, successful breeding, and environmental stress tolerance (Anderson 2007) In ectothermic animals, such as reptiles, body temperature maintenance is closely linked to physiological and behavioral performance efficiency (Angilletta et al 1999). Air temperature has high seasonal variation, and differences in temperature should elicit changes in the body temperatures of nocturnal geckos (Kearney and Predavec 2000). Such changes may force geckos to adjust their activities in seasonally variable environmental conditions to achieve appropriate fitness. Many studies on seasonally adjusted thermoregulation in nocturnal geckos have been performed (Huey et al 1989; Hitchcock and McBrayer 2006), how these reptiles adjust their microhabitat use at night across different seasons is not well understood
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