The peak of thermoregulation effectiveness: thermal biology of the Pyrenean rock lizard, Iberolacerta bonnali (Squamata, Lacertidae)
[EN] We studied, at 2200 m altitude, the thermal biology of the Pyrenean rock lizard, Iberolacerta bonnali, in the glacial cirque of Cotatuero (National Park of Ordesa, Huesca, Spain). The preferred thermal range (PTR) of I. bonnali indicates that it is a cold-adapted ectotherm with a narrow PTR (29...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión aceptada para publicación |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2016 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Ajuntament de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/23557 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306456515301637 https://hdl.handle.net/10612/23557 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Zoología Temperatura Termorregulación Iberolacerta Iberolacerta bonnali Lagartijas Biología térmica Thermoregulation Cold-adapted Global warming Mountains Lacertidae 2401.02 Comportamiento Animal 2401.06 Ecología Animal 2401.13 Fisiología Animal 3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat 2401.23 Vertebrados |
| Sumario: | [EN] We studied, at 2200 m altitude, the thermal biology of the Pyrenean rock lizard, Iberolacerta bonnali, in the glacial cirque of Cotatuero (National Park of Ordesa, Huesca, Spain). The preferred thermal range (PTR) of I. bonnali indicates that it is a cold-adapted ectotherm with a narrow PTR (29.20–32.77 °C). However, its PTR (3.57 °C) is twice as wide as other Iberolacerta lizards, which may be explained by its broader historical distribution. The studied area is formed by a mosaic of microhabitats which offer different operative temperatures, so that lizards have, throughout their entire daily period of activity, the opportunity to choose the most thermally suitable substrates. I. bonnali achieves an effectiveness of thermoregulation of 0.95, which makes it the highest value found to date among the Lacertidae, and one of the highest among lizards. Their relatively wide distribution, their wider PTR, and their excellent ability of thermoregulation, would make I. bonnali lizards less vulnerable to climate change than other species of Iberolacerta. Thanks to its difficult access, the studied area is not visited by a large number of tourists, as are other areas of the National Park. Thus, it is a key area for the conservation of the Pyrenean rock lizard. By shuttling between suitable microhabitats, lizards achieve suitable body temperatures during all day. However, such thermally suitable microhabitats should vary in other traits than thermal quality, such as prey availability or predation risk. Hence, it seems that these not-thermal traits are not constraining habitat selection and thermoregulation in this population. Therefore, future research in this population may study the causes that would lead lizards to prioritize thermoregulation to such extent in this population |
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