Green Lizard Research Articles

The Where of Mineral Names: Greenlizardite, Green Lizard Mine, Low Canyon, White Canyon Uranium District, San Juan County, Utah

The Where of Mineral Names: Greenlizardite, Green Lizard Mine, Low Canyon, White Canyon Uranium District, San Juan County, Utah

Microhabitat preferences in the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis): implications for conservation management of isolated populations

The European green lizard (Lacerta viridis) populations in Bohemia, Czech Republic, are isolated by more than 150 km from the northern border of the continuous range of the species. These populations are fragmented and further isolated from each other. In this landscape mosaic, they are tied to specific habitats located in deeply incised river valleys (the so-called river phenomenon) and thus may be viewed as stenotopic. The research site is located on the northern edge of the city of Prague. Since 1998, this site has been the subject of long-term conservation management aimed at strengthening and maintaining the abundance of the local L. viridis population. To formulate recommendations for the management of other isolated L. viridis populations, we performed a spatial analysis of the localities with observed individuals to determine and evaluate the significance of the chosen biotic and abiotic factors for habitat discrimination. We applied principal components and discriminant function analyses and examined the effect of 24 variables on the species’ presence. The results revealed the principal role of the presence of rock debris and hiding places for lizard occurrence. The strongest negative predictors were the presence of tall grass and high vegetation coverage. We discuss the applicability of our findings in both the theory and practice of species conservation and population management.

Green lizards (Squamata, Lacertidae) from ?Pliocene deposits of Węże I in southern Poland, with comments on cranial features for selected lacertids

AbstractI here describe lacertids from the classic Węże I locality in southern Poland (?Pliocene deposits) based on six previously undescribed jaws: an incomplete left maxilla, two dentaries and three mandibles. These jaws collectively provide considerable data on the morphology of the maxilla, dentary, teeth, coronoid, splenial, angular, surangular and prearticular. All six jaws can be unequivocally allocated to Lacertidae and five of those are allocated to European green lizards of the Lacerta viridis group. Currently, La. viridis has regionally extinct or probably extinct status in Poland. The material from Węże I provides evidence that European green lizards had a large geographic distribution in Europe, including Poland during the ?Pliocene. One mandible fragment appears to be slightly different and is allocated to Lacertidae indet. That mandible might point to a higher taxonomic diversity of lacertids in this locality. However, that interpretation needs to be viewed with caution, because based on such limited material, individual and/or ontogenetic variation cannot be ruled out. To reveal the real taxonomic palaeodiversity of lacertids in Węże I, new and more complete cranial material is needed. In addition, this article provides insights into the comparative osteology of skulls and selected cranial elements in lacertids.

Potential geographic distribution and habitat utilization of Lacerta viridis (Squamata: Lacertidae) in northern Türkiye

The genus Lacerta, particularly the green lizard (Lacerta viridis), is a significant lizard group in the Western Palearctic. This study aims to predict its geographic range in Northern Türkiye and identify key habitat types based on the CORINE Land Cover classification. Occurrence records, gathered from published sources and on-site investigations, were analyzed using a 30 arc-second resolution layer and bioclimatic parameters from WorldClim v.2.1. The distribution was modeled in kuenm, and habitat use was assessed with generalized linear models. Results show that the green lizard’s occurrence is strongly influenced by precipitation dynamics and it prefers areas with little to no shade. These findings highlight the importance of precipitation in determining the species’ distribution and suggest further research on local dynamics for effective conservation.

Age and Body Size of the Pamphylian Green Lizard, Lacerta pamphylica (Schmidtler, 1975)

Age and Body Size of the Pamphylian Green Lizard, Lacerta pamphylica (Schmidtler, 1975)

Diet composition of the lizard Lacerta viridis (Laurenti, 1768) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in Bulgaria confirm its generalistic feeding behaviour

The eastern green lizard (Lacerta viridis) is a mostly insectivorous species, based on multiple studies from across its range. However, for Bulgaria the published data of such kind are limited to five publications. We investigated faecal samples from a total of 60 individuals of free-ranging L. viridis obtained from two localities in western Bulgaria. Our aim was to clarify the diet regarding its taxonomic composition, as well as some physical characteristics of the prey like hardness and evasiveness. For one of the study sites we compared the realised trophic niche (prey items from the faecal pellets) with the fundamental niche (invertebrates collected via pit-fall traps exposure). In our results, two invertebrate taxa had the largest share (both in frequency and abundance) in the food spectrum of L. viridis: Araneae and Coleoptera), respectively 21.2% and 17.6%. Regarding specific prey selectivity, analysis showed that Lepidoptera are most preferred (E* = 0.68), and Formicidae - most avoided prey items (E* = -0.79). We registered several cases of saurophagy (in four samples) and keratophagy (in two samples), two types of dietary items, which have not been reported for L. viridis so far.

Application of Univariate Diversity Metrics to the Study of the Population Ecology of the Lizard Lacerta bilineata in an Ecotonal Habitat

The expansion of human activities across natural environments is now well known. This includes agricultural activities that effectively render many former natural environments sterile habitats for animals. Very often, what remains of the natural habitat are hedgerows that serve as habitat or pathways for movement between habitats for many species, including reptiles. In this study, we describe population changes in the western green lizard, Lacerta bilineata, in a hedgerow system in western France. The results are derived from a univariate diversity analysis of photographic data to identify individual lizards over a 4-year study period. Lizards were sighted from March April to October early November but there was a midsummer gap in sightings during July–August. The annual presence of individual lizards was low, both between and within years, but based on the diversity analysis, the overall stability of the population was high. Female numbers varied and were highest in 2020, but juveniles were highest in 2023; the numbers of males present each year were approximately the same. Individual lizards that were present before the midsummer gap were mostly absent after the midsummer gap and were replaced by new individuals. Incidences of autotomy were low in males and juveniles and were not recorded in females. In general, the results suggest that the lizards move through hedgerow systems but remain in a specific section for reproduction from March to July. Through this study, we also highlight the importance of univariate diversity formulas to obtain robust results in investigations of the demographic aspects of animal populations that are easy to monitor.

16S rRNA Gene Sequencing-Based Identification and Comparative Analysis of the Fecal Microbiota of Five Syntopic Lizard Species from a Low-Mountain Area in Western Bulgaria

Studies on the gut microbiome of free-living reptiles in Europe are generally fragmentary and still missing in Bulgaria. We aimed to identify and compare the fecal microbiota profiles of five syntopic lizard species from three families: the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis), the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), the meadow lizard (Darevskia praticola) (Lacertidae), the European snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus kitaibelii) (Scincidae), and the European slow worm (Anguis fragilis) (Anguidae), which coinhabit a low mountainous area in the western part of the country. A high-throughput sequencing of the hypervariable V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, performed on the Illumina HiSeq2500 platform, was used. The core microbiota of lizard hosts seems to be species-specific. A dynamic phyla proportion between hosts was found. The richest alpha diversity was observed in D. praticola, and the lowest alpha diversity was observed in P. muralis and A. fragilis. Within the three lacertids, the microbiota of D. praticola and L. viridis were more closely related to each other than they were to those of P. muralis. Sharing a largely common trophic resource (all species except A. fragilis are mainly insectivorous) was not an indication of similarity in their gut microbial communities.

New data regarding the distribution and status of the herpetofauna from urban and peri-urban habitats in the city of Pitești, Argeș county (Romania)

Identifying urban and peri-urban areas inhabited by species of reptiles and amphibians represents the first step in understanding how herpetofauna can adapt to anthropogenic factors. This is particularly true for regions where sampling biases have left significant gaps in our knowledge of fauna distribution, such as Romania. The aim of the study is to show my preliminary observations on the herpetofauna and its use of habitats in the urban and peri-urban environments from the city of Pitești, Argeș County, located in southern Romania. I identified nine species of amphibians (Salamandra salamandra, Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus cristatus, Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo, Bufotes viridis, Hyla orientalis, Pelophylax ridibundus and Rana dalmatina) and nine species of reptiles (Emys orbicularis, Trachemys scripta, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis, Podarcis muralis, Anguis colchica, Coronella austriaca, Natrix natrix and Natrix tessellata). The most abundent species in urban environments were Podarcis muralis and Bufotes viridis, with other species naturally present in the same habitats being Lacerta viridis, Hyla orientalis and Bufo bufo. In an artificial urban pond there were present Emys orbicularis and the invasive species Trachemys scripta (together with other exotic turtles belonging to other genera) as a result of translocation and releases. When taking into account the peri-urban areas as well, the most abundant species in the study area were Bombina variegata, Rana dalmatina and Bufotes viridis, the first two being limited to the woodland area. The most widespread species were Hyla orientalis, Bufotes viridis, Lacerta viridis, Podarcis muralis and Natrix natrix. These widespread species were present throughout all the study area. I have also recorded some species of reptiles with very few observations in the Argeș County: Natrix tessellata and Trachemys scripta. Finally, I identified anthropogenic factors that negatively impact the herpetofauna, such as habitat loss, direct persecution, road mortality, invasive species and poaching.

Future climate will drive changes of suitable habitats and sympatric areas for two green lizards in Western Europe

Future climate will drive changes of suitable habitats and sympatric areas for two green lizards in Western Europe

Tick-Borne Encephalitis in the Russian Caucasus: Virus Was Detected for the First Time on the Border of Europe and Asia Minor.

The tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus has been confirmed by molecular analysis in the Caucasus region for the first time. The virus obtained from a tick Ixodes ricinus ex Caspian green lizard belongs to the Zausaev strain of the Siberian subtype (not to a strain of the European subtype highly distributed in the territories adjacent to the Caucasus). This unusual record indicates the need to study the role of lizards in the circulation of natural focal infections.

Management impacts on three reptile species (Vipera ursinii, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis) in sandy grasslands in Hungary: Mowing should be avoided

AbstractUnderstanding the factors that determine the abundance of populations is of key importance in conservation biology, ecology, and biogeography. For grassland‐associated species, such as the Hungarian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis), habitat management is particularly important. We aimed to study the effects of the three most common types of grassland management (grazing, mowing, and mowing + grazing) on the abundance of reptile species in meadow viper habitats in Kiskunság National Park, in Hungary. We surveyed grasslands repeatedly (n = 15 occasions) for reptiles in one autumn and one spring season in three 1‐ha quadrates per grassland management type. We recorded all reptiles and their activity related to operative temperatures and analyzed data by n‐mixture models. All reptile species known to occur in the habitats were observed during the surveys, but only the green lizard, sand lizard, and Hungarian meadow viper reached the minimum number of observations required for detailed analyses. Grazing had a strong positive effect on the abundance of Hungarian meadow vipers and sand lizards, while both mowing and mowing + grazing rotation had a negative effect. None of the grassland management types affected green lizard abundance. Our results suggest that grazing is the ideal type of grassland management for the endangered Hungarian meadow viper and the sand lizard. Mowing and mowing + grazing should be replaced by grazing to ensure the effectiveness of habitat management for conservation and to maintain healthy populations of grassland‐associated reptile species.

Rensch's rule: linking intraspecific to evolutionary allometry.

Sexual dimorphism describes phenotypic differences between the sexes; the most prominent of which is sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Rensch's rule (RR) is an allometric trend in which SSD increases in male-larger taxa and decreases in female-larger ones. Covariation between a trait and overall size within and across species can both be affected by sexual and natural selection. Thus, intraspecific allometric variation could influence the expression of RR. Here we used computer simulations to dissect how RR emerges under specific allometric patterns of intraspecific sexual differentiation in a trait. We found that sexual differentiation in static allometric slopes is the main determinant of RR. Based on our findings, RR and its converse can manifest in both body size and other traits. As a realistic showcase, we also examined RR and static allometry of different body parts in Mediterranean green lizards to establish whether intraspecific and evolutionary allometry are linked. Here, we identified RR and its converse for different traits, where the amount of sexual differentiation in static allometric slopes within species had a significant contribution to RR. Integrating the simulations and the empirical case we corroborate that sexual differentiation in static allometric slopes is a major parameter affecting evolutionary allometry.

Effects of landscape structure and patch characteristics on the density of central populations of the eastern green lizard Lacerta viridis.

A better understanding of the impact of habitat loss on population density can be achieved by evaluating effects of both parameters within remnant habitat patches and parameters of the landscape surrounding those patches. The integration of predictors at the patch and landscape level is scarce in animal ecological studies, especially for reptiles. In this study, a patch-landscape approach was applied to evaluate the combined effects of within-patch habitat quality, patch geometry and landscape configuration and composition on the density of remnant populations of the eastern green lizard, Lacerta viridis, in a highly modified landscape in Bulgaria. Landscape composition variables (proportion of different land covers) were measured at different spatial scales surrounding patches. Single-scale models were built to evaluate combined effects of all predictors on density, when including all landscape composition variables at a specific spatial scale. Multi-scale models were applied to analyze combined effects when including landscape composition variables at the scale of their strongest effect (scale of effect, SoE). Results showed that the SoE of proportion of cropland and urban areas was small (50 m), while for proportion of habitat was large (1.5 km). The overall effect of habitat loss was better explained by the multi-scale model. Population density increased with patch area and decreased with patch shape irregularity and with the proportion of three land cover types surrounding patches-cropland, urban areas, and habitat. Combining patch and landscape parameters is important to identify ecological processes that occur simultaneously at different spatial levels and landscape scales, which would imply the application of multi-scale approaches for the protection of wild animal populations. Results are contrasted with what is known about occupancy patterns of the species in the same region and approaches to integrate both occupancy and density, in the field design of animal ecological studies are suggested.

A contribution to the distribution of the endemic lizard species, Lacerta pamphylica

In the present study, we contributed to the knowledge of the distribution of the endemic lizard species, Pamphylian green lizard in Türkiye and pointed out the northernmost localities of the species. Until recently, the occurrence of the species was only known from the Antalya and Mersin provinces of Türkiye. According to the most recent records, it has been reported from some localities (Aşağı Kırıntı, Yukarı Kırıntı, Kasımlar, and Belence) in the Sütçüler district of the Isparta province. In our study, we also found individuals of the species in the Yakaafşar village of Aksu district, Isparta. In addition, we revealed the occurrence of the species from two localities in Ayvalıpınar village, one locality in Güldallı village, and one locality in Kesme village of Sütçüler district.

How does mitochondria function contribute to aerobic performance enhancement in lizards?

Aims: Aerobic exercise typically enhances endurance across vertebrates so that chronically high energy demands can be met. Some known mechanisms of doing this include increases in red blood cell numbers, angiogenesis, muscle fiber adaptions, mitochondria biogenesis, and changes to cellular metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. We used green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis) to test for an effect of aerobic exercise on metabolism, mitochondria densities, and mitochondrial function. Methods: We first tested the response of green anoles to endurance training and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) supplementation, which has been shown to increase mitochondria biogenesis. We also conducted a mitochondrial stress test to determine how training affected mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle fibers. Results: Aerobic exercise led to increased endurance and decreased standard metabolic rate (SMR), while PQQ did not affect endurance and increased SMR. In a second experiment, aerobic exercise increased endurance and decreased resting metabolic rate (RMR) in both male and female green anoles. Higher counts of mitochondrial gene copies in trained lizards suggested additional mitochondria adaptations to achieve increased endurance and decreased metabolism. A mitochondrial stress test revealed no effect on baseline oxygen consumption rates of muscle fibers, but untrained lizards had higher maximal oxygen consumption rates with the addition of metabolic fuel. Conclusion: It is likely that trained lizards exhibited lower maximal oxygen consumption rates by developing higher mitochondria efficiency. This adaptation allows for high ATP demand to be met by making more ATP per oxygen molecule consumed. On the other hand, it is possible that untrained lizards prioritized limiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production at rest, while sacrificing higher levels of proton leak and higher oxygen consumption rates when working to meet high ATP demand.

Spatiotemporal Patterns and Road Mortality Hotspots of Herpetofauna on a Mediterranean Island

Traffic intensification, often in conjunction with habitat fragmentation, has caused frequent roadkill incidents, particularly among reptiles, amphibians, and other taxa. Herpetofauna species, which are slow moving and habitat dependent, are particularly susceptible to these incidents because they often use roads during thermoregulation. Lesvos, the eighth-largest Mediterranean island, boasts a biodiversity that surpasses most other Mediterranean islands of similar or larger size, with a plethora of herpetofauna species inhabiting its terrain. In recent years, new roads were constructed on Lesvos, which are considered to be one of the most important factors that negatively affect the island’s wildlife as they increase the non-natural mortality of animals, are obstacles to their mobility, and reduce the connectivity of populations by limiting their dynamics. In the present study, we examined the road mortality of amphibians and reptiles by analyzing (a) the temporal and seasonal patterns of such incidents, (b) the relationship between roadside habitats and road network characteristics with the roadkilled herpetofauna species, and (c) their spatial distribution on Lesvos during the years 2009–2012 and 2016–2019. To identify significant clusters of reptile and amphibian roadkills, we performed hotspot analysis by utilizing kernel density estimation and Getis Ord Gi* statistics. We recorded a total of 330 roadkills among 20 species, with the highest rates emerging among the European green toad (Bufotes viridis), the European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus), the Rhodos green lizard (Lacerta diplochondrodes), and the snake-eyed lizard (Ophisops elegans). Spatial statistical analysis revealed that roads close to herpetofauna habitats exhibit statistically significant clusters of roadkills that intensify during the spring season. Regular monitoring and mapping of herpetofauna road mortality will enable the implementation of management strategies to mitigate the negative impact of this phenomenon.

Rapid introgression of non-native alleles following hybridization between a native Anolis lizard species and acryptic invader across an urban landscape.

Invasive species can impact native populations through competition, predation, habitat alteration, and disease transmission, but also genetically through hybridization. Potential outcomes of hybridization span the continuum from extinction to hybrid speciation and can be further complicated by anthropogenic habitat disturbance. Hybridization between the native green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis) and a morphologically similar invader (A. porcatus) in south Florida provides an ideal opportunity to study interspecific admixture across a heterogeneous landscape. We used reduced-representation sequencing to describe introgression in this hybrid system and to test for a relationship between urbanization and non-native ancestry. Our findings indicate that hybridization between green anole lineages was probably a limited, historic event, producing a hybrid population characterized by a diverse continuum of ancestry proportions. Genomic cline analyses revealed rapid introgression and disproportionate representation of non-native alleles at many loci and no evidence for reproductive isolation between parental species. Three loci were associated with urban habitat characteristics; urbanization and non-native ancestry were positively correlated, although this relationship did not remain significant when accounting for spatial nonindependence. Ultimately, our study demonstrates the persistence of non-native genetic material even in the absence of ongoing immigration, indicating that selection favouring non-native alleles can override the demographic limitation of low propagule pressure. We also note that not all outcomes of admixture between native and non-native species should be considered intrinsically negative. Hybridization with ecologically robust invaders can lead to adaptive introgression, which may facilitate the long-term survival of native populations otherwise unable to adapt to anthropogenically mediated global change.

Sexual dimorphism in dynamic body color in the green anole lizard

Animals capable of rapid (i.e., physiological) body color change may use color to respond quickly to changing social or physical environments. Because males and females often differ in their environments, the sexes may use changes in body color differently, reflecting sexual dimorphism in ecological, behavioral, or morphological traits. Green anole lizards, Anolis carolinensis, frequently switch their dorsal body color between bright green and dark brown, a change that requires only seconds, but little is known regarding sexual dimorphism in their color change. We tested three hypotheses for the function of body color (thermoregulation, camouflage via background-matching, and social communication) to determine the ecological role(s) of physiological color change in anoles. First, we examined instantaneous body color to determine relationships between body color and body temperature, substrate color and type, and whether these varied between the sexes. Next, we examined the association between color change and behavioral displays. Altogether, we found that males were more likely to be green than females, and larger lizards were more often green than smaller ones, but there was no evidence that anole body color was associated with body temperature or background color during the summer breeding season. Instead, our results show that although the sexes change their color at approximately the same rates, males changed color more frequently during social displays, while females remained green when displaying. In sum, social communication appears to be the primary function of anole color change, although the functions of body color may differ in the nonbreeding season.Significance statementMany animals can change their body color in response to their environments, and in many species, males and females experience different environments. In this study, we examined whether the sexes of green anole lizards use the ability to rapidly change their body color between green and brown for different functions. We found that, when a lizard was first sighted, its body color did not appear to match its background color in either sex (suggesting that color change does not contribute to avoidance of detection by potential predators), and body color was not associated with temperature for either sex (i.e., color was unlikely to influence body temperature). Yet, males changed color more often when performing social displays to other lizards, while females remained green during social displays. Thus, rapid color change plays an important role in social communication in both sexes, highlighting how males and females may use the same behavior to convey different messages.

Application of DNA Barcoding to the Study of Green Lizards (Sauria: Lacertidae: <i>Lacerta</i>)

DNA barcoding remains a recognized and widely used method for taxon identification in biodiversity inventory and monitoring. In this publication, we present information about the results of using this method in the study of green lizards of the genus Lacerta. A total of 67 sequences of the COI gene fragment of three species (L. agilis, L. media, L. strigata) were analyzed. For the first time, all subspecies of L. agilis known in the Caucasus were studied using DNA barcoding, and a phylogeographic hypothesis for L. strigata in the Caucasian part of the range was proposed. Genetic identification has been successful at the species level. In the composition of L. agilis within the Caucasus, we can diagnose only the subspecies L. a. boemica and L. a. exigua, while L. a. brevicaudata, L. a. grusinica and L. a. mzymtensis are identical from L. a. exigua, while L. a. ioriensis from L. a. boemica.