Thermal ecology of the lizard,Sceloporus gadoviae, in an arid tropical scrub forest

Abstract

Thermal ecology of the lizard,Sceloporus gadoviae, from an arid tropical scrub forest in Guerrero, Mexico was studied. Mean body temperature was 35·09 ± 0·12°C, which is among the higher body temperatures recorded in the field for the genusSceloporus. Body temperature was significantly related to air temperature (slope = 0·19), and substrate temperatures (slope = 0·21). Body temperatures varied throughout the year, but less than air or substrate temperatures. During the dry season individuals had higher body temperatures on average than during the wet season. Males and females did not have different body temperatures, but the air and substrate temperatures at the site of their capture did differ, suggesting they may use different thermoregulatory tactics. The body temperatures of gravid females were not different from those of non-gravid females. Fifty-two percent of the variation in mean body temperatures of 26 populations ofSceloporuswas ‘explained’ by variation in mean air temperatures.