Effects of food intake and hydration state on behavioral thermoregulation and locomotor activity in the tropidurid lizard Tropidurus catalanensis

Autor(es)

Padilla Perez, Dylan J. ^{[1, 2]} ; de Carvalho, Jose E. ^[2] ; Navas, Carlos A. ^{[2, 3]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Arizona State Univ, Sch Life Sci, Tempe, AZ 85281 - USA

^[2] Fed Univ Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Diadema Campus, Rua Prof Artur Riedel 275, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Biosci Inst, Dept Physiol, Rua Matao, Travessa 14, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Journal of Experimental Biology; v. 224, n. 6 MAR 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Theoretical models predict that lizards adjust their body temperature through behavioral thermoregulation as a function of food availability. However, behavioral thermoregulation is also governed by interactions among physiological and ecological factors other than food availability, such as hydration state, and sometimes it can even conflict with the locomotor activity of animals. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of food intake and hydration state on behavioral thermoregulation and voluntary locomotor activity in the lizard Tropidurus catalanensis. We hypothesized that food intake can influence behavioral thermoregulation via an interaction with hydration state. We also hypothesized that lizards should endeavor to spend as little time as possible to reach their preferred body temperature to defend other physiological and/or ecological functions. We collected lizards in the field and brought them to the laboratory to measure the preferred temperature selected in a thermal gradient and the total distance traveled by them in fed and unfed conditions and with variable hydration state. Our results showed that food consumption was the most important predictor of preferred temperature. In contrast, either the hydration state alone or its interaction with food consumption did not have important effects on the lizards' thermal preference. Also, we found that the total distance traveled by lizards was not affected by food intake and was barely affected by the hydration state. We provide an experimental approach and a robust analysis of the factors that influence behavioral thermoregulation and locomotor activity in a tropical lizard. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 14/16320-7 - Impactos das mudanças climáticas e ambientais sobre a fauna: uma abordagem integrativa
• Beneficiário: Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa de Pesquisa sobre Mudanças Climáticas Globais - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 17/21747-8 - Demanda conflitante entre a termorregulação comportamental e o estado de desidratação na falsa coral Oxyrhopus guibei (serpentes, Dipsadidae)
• Beneficiário: Dylan Jose Padilla Perez
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado