2025/06/09 by Alder Echols, Fraga, Gustavo, Blackburn, Maura +1
#southern sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus vandenburgianus) #spatial partitioning #temporal partitioning #thermal partitioning #western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis
paper · doi:10.21973/n31h3x
Ectothermic animals partition niches spatially and temporally based on differing thermoregulation strategies. For example, animals with scales utilize the surface temperature of varying substrates and current air temperatures to regulate internal body conditions. In this study, we compared how two co-existing species of Sceloporus lizard, the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) and the southern sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus vandenburgianus), inhabited different niches based on thermoregulation. Scale density of the two focal lizard species were analyzed by the catching and counting of scales within a transect, while preferences for substrate surface temperatures and air temperature during lizard activity were compared between the lizard species. Our study found that scale density differed between age class, but not species, and that temperature preferences relating to surface and air temperatures were opposite between the species. The western fence lizard preferred higher surface temperatures, while the southern sagebrush lizard was active at higher air temperatures. These results showcased how spatial and temporal partitioning of the habitat were at play between the southern sagebrush lizard and the western fence lizard. Studying how ectothermic animal behavior varies based on the presence of other species is important to better comprehend how animals, in general, utilize niche partitioning to co-exist within the same environment.