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Interactions between a Lizard and Its Thermal Environment: Implications for Sprint Performance and Space Utilization in the Lizard Uta Stansburiana
Author(s) -
Waldschmidt Steve,
Tracy C. Richard
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1939967
Subject(s) - lizard , sprint , home range , morning , range (aeronautics) , sauria , ecology , biology , environmental science , habitat , materials science , medicine , botany , composite material , physical therapy
At the end of their breeding season, male side—blotched lizards, Uta stansburiana, from western Colorado decreased their home range to a size not different from that of females. Both males and females showed a high degree of overlap in home ranges, not found in populations previously studied in Texas. Uta's sprint speed was dependent on body temperature, with maximum sprint speed occurring at body temperatures between 35° and 38°C, with lower speeds at higher and lower temperatures. An energy budget model was used to predict the range of body temperatures (and thus sprint speeds) available to lizards in four microhabitats within each animal's home range. Predicted body temperatures were converted to a space—time index. The distribution of the space—time index in each microhabitat was used to predict the spatial and temporal distributions of lizards. Predicted distributions accurately reflected the measured distributions of lizards in the morning and late afternoon, but did not reflect the measured distributions during midday. These inconsistencies are thought to be the result of lizard responses to other temperature—dependent processes, such as evaporative water loss.