Thermoregulation and activity pattern of the high-mountain lizard Phymaturus palluma (Tropiduridae) in Chile

Behavioral and physiological mechanisms of thermoregulation in ectotherms are conditioned by thermal constraints. These mechanisms may be even more restrictive when environmental conditions are unfavorable for indi- viduals, especially when sexual dimorphism segregates the sexes spatially. In order to understand behavioral and physi- ological regulation mechanisms, we investigated the thermal biology of Phymaturus palluma (Molina, 1782), a sexually size dimorphic, high-mountain lizard that inhabits extreme climatic conditions. P. palluma showed a bimodal activity pattern, a major peak in the morning (11:00-13:30h) and in the afternoon (15:30-18:00 h). The lizards were more active when substrate temperatures were between 25 and 28° C. The highest abundance was found around 27o C (between 11:00-12:30). Females showed greater activity than males in the early morning. Sub-adults and juveniles did not show differences in their activity pattern. There was a positive relationship between body temperature and air and substrate temperatures, suggesting typically thigmothermal regulation.

• Publication year

  2010

• Venue

  Zoologia

• Publication date

  2010-02-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1590/S1984-46702010000100003
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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