Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe temporal variations in the diet and parasitological aspects in Liolaemus parvus. In order to examine the diet, we determined the volume, numerousness, and frequency of occurrence for each prey item and calculated the relative importance index. We removed nematodes from the stomach and estimated parasitic indicators. Liolaemus parvus presents an active searching mode. It is a predominantly insectivorous species with low intake of plant material and a specialist in feeding on prey items of the family Formicidae, although it also feeds on other arthropods like coleopterans, hemipterans, and spiders. We found temporal variations in its diet. The first record of Parapharyngodon riojensis nematodes is reported herein. Males showed higher nematode prevalence than females. We have expanded the number of host species and the distribution range of Parapharyngodon riojensis. The information provided about trophic ecology and parasitism is the first contribution to this lizard species? biology.
Highlights
There are two strategies for obtaining food: active searching and sit-and-wait, called passive
Temporal effect on diet A total of 23 prey items were determined in 84 individuals over 7 sampling dates
No similarities were found in prey-item composition between periods, with Jaccard’s index values being low (Table 5), and with temporal dietary variations being observed in the periods analyzed
Summary
There are two strategies for obtaining food: active searching and sit-and-wait, called passive. Lizards may explore either of these two strategies, and many times they may use both modes, constituting a continuum between them (Roca, 1999; Castillo et al, 2017b). The “active searching” strategy is practiced by species specialized in consuming small and locally numerous prey. The “sit-and-wait” strategy is employed by opportunist species that consume a smaller number of larger solitary prey (Pianka, 1966; Schoener, 1968, 1969; Huey and Pianka, 1981; Pianka, 1982; Cox et al, 2007; Vidal and Labra, 2008; Vitt and Caldwell, 2009). Background data have shown that populations (lizards of the same species occupying a particular geographic area) are not strictly herbivorous, omnivorous, or insectivorous (carnivorous), and that they vary on occasion depending on factors such as season, size, or resource availability (Aun et al, 1999; Martori et al, 2002; Astudillo et al, 2015; Castillo et al, 2017b)
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