Living in the mountains: Thermal ecology and freezing tolerance of the lizard Abronia taeniata (Squamata: Anguidae).

Autor: Fierro-Estrada N; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos, Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales, Avenida de los Barrios Núm. 1, Col. Los Reyes Ixtacala, 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México; Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Edificio D, 1° Piso, Circuito de Posgrados, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510, CDMX, México. Electronic address: natalia.fierro@st.ib.unam.mx., Méndez-de la Cruz FR; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biología, Departamento de Zoología, Laboratorio de Herpetología, Apartado postal 70515, 04510 CDMX, México., Tellez-Valdes O; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Unidad de Biotecnología y Prototipos, Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales, Avenida de los Barrios Núm. 1, Col. Los Reyes Ixtacala, 54090 Tlalnepantla, Estado de México, México.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of thermal biology [J Therm Biol] 2023 Oct; Vol. 117, pp. 103679. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Aug 10.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103679
Abstrakt: The impact of daily and seasonal variation in environmental temperature on lizards is important, since their physiological processes are body temperature dependent. Lizards that occupy mountainous areas must have been favoured to colonize such habitats through selection on thermal biology traits to thermoregulate effectively. Moreover, mountain lizards may be able to maintain their activity near their minimum critical temperature and even have antifreeze mechanisms. Tolerance of freezing is related to the biosynthesis of cryoprotective molecules, such as glucose, whose concentration may increase after freezing. The aims of the present work were: (1) study the thermoregulation of the viviparous lizard Abronia taeniata, and (2) determine its survival and/or tolerance to freezing. This species occurs in pine forests, pine-oak forests, and mountain mesophilic forests in areas that reach freezing temperatures. In the field, we recorded air, substrate, and body temperatures at capture time of the lizards, and registered operative temperatures at the study area. In the laboratory, we determined thermal preferences, crystallization point, and blood glucose levels of individuals before and after freezing. We found out that A. taeniata sustains activity in a wide range of temperatures, actively avoids thermally favourable microhabitats in spring, and is a moderate thermoregulator during autumn and winter. In A. taeniata, the body temperatures are tightly linked to air and substrate temperatures. Seasonality had an effect over body temperature, preferred temperatures and thermoregulatory effectiveness indices. When exposed to temperatures below zero, A. taeniata showed an increase in blood glucose levels, which aided them in surviving freezing. Taken together, our results suggest that A. taeniata may sustain activity at low environmental temperatures, due to an effective behavioural thermoregulation, and in case temperatures of its habitat go below zero, is also capable of tolerate freezing.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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