Extracutaneous Pigmentary System Adaptations to Climate Change in Squamata

• Grant number: 25/09455-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Physiology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Thaís Barreto Guedes da Costa
• Grantee: Elder Salgueiro Dias da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/07161-6 - Evolution and biogeography of the herpetofauna: patterns, process and implications for conservation in a scenario of environmental and climate changes, AP.JP

Abstract

Non-avian reptiles living in tropical climates face temperatures near their thermal limits, making even small increases in global temperature potentially fatal for these species. Melanin, a crucial pigment for protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is also found in vital organs and connective tissues of reptiles and amphibians. Although still underexplored in reptiles, internal pigmentation in anurans has been linked to environmental factors: ambient temperature influences liver coloration, and UV radiation exposure increases melanin deposition in the skin and internal organs. Previous studies, such as Franco-Belussi et al. (2009), developed a pigmentation scale for anuran testes to aid in exploring morphological and physiological relationships related to melanin deposition. This project aims to describe pigmented internal structures in reptiles, examine the extracutaneous melanin deposition (parietal peritoneum) in Squamata, and investigate the response of the pigmentary system in lizards under UV radiation exposure, contributing to the understanding of their adaptation and survival in adverse environmental conditions. (AU)