Information on habitat use is critical in sizing protected areas for endangered reptile species. To investigate habitat use, home range, and hibernaculum of the endangered Mongolian Racerunner(Eremias argus), we radio...Information on habitat use is critical in sizing protected areas for endangered reptile species. To investigate habitat use, home range, and hibernaculum of the endangered Mongolian Racerunner(Eremias argus), we radio-tracked 40 specimens in a coastal sand dune in South Korea. Of the 163 locations recorded during the breeding season, 150(92.0%) were in grass sand dunes, and the rest(8.0%), all associated with the same lizard, were in shrub sand dunes. All of the 123 locations recorded during the non-breeding season were in grass sand dunes. No lizards were found in the grasslands abutting the dunes. The four lizards with identifiable hibernation sites were found under an average of 17.8 cm of sand and were all located in grass sand dunes. The lizards moved approximately 5 m daily and used 162 m2of home range(computed by minimum convex polygon, MCP) during the breeding season, and they moved approximately 2 m and used 68 m2of home range during the non-breeding season. However, the mean daily moved distances and MCP home ranges were not statistically significantly different between the seasons or between males and females. Our results suggest that in coastal sand dunes, E. argus uses grass sand dunes as its main habitat throughout the year. This finding could be used to determine the appropriate habitat size and to designate for the conservation of this endangered species.展开更多
Sympatric reptiles are the ideal system for investigating temperature-driven coexistence. Understanding thermally physiological responses of sympatric lizards is necessary to reveal the physiological mechanisms that u...Sympatric reptiles are the ideal system for investigating temperature-driven coexistence. Understanding thermally physiological responses of sympatric lizards is necessary to reveal the physiological mechanisms that underpin the sympatric occurrence of reptiles. In this study, we used three lizard species, Eremias argus, E. multiocellata, and Phrynocephalus przewalskii, which are sympatric in the Inner Mongolia desert steppe, as a study system. By comparing their resting metabolic rates(RMR) and locomotion at different body temperatures, we aimed to better understand their physiological responses to thermal environments, which may explain the sympatric occurrence of these lizards. Our results showed that E. argus had significantly higher RMR and sprint speed than E. multiocellata, and higher RMR than P. przewalskii. In addition, the optimal temperature that maximized metabolic rates and locomotion for E. argus and E. multiocellata was 36°C, whereas for P. przewalskii it was 39°C. Our study revealed the physiological responses to temperatures that justify the sympatric occurrence of these lizards with different thermal and microhabitat preferences and active body temperatures. Eremias argus and E. multiocellata, which have lower body temperatures than P. przewalskii, depend on higher RMR and locomotion to compensate for their lower body temperatures in field conditions. Our study also highlights the importance of using an integrative approach, combining behavior and physiology, to explore the basis of sympatric occurrence in ectothermic species.展开更多
Light is essential for embryonic development in many ovipa rous animals including fish,amphibians,and birds.However,light may be harmful for reptile embryos developing underground where they are in complete darkness a...Light is essential for embryonic development in many ovipa rous animals including fish,amphibians,and birds.However,light may be harmful for reptile embryos developing underground where they are in complete darkness and beneath thin eggshells.Nonetheless,how embryonic light conditions affect reptile development and offspring remains largely unknown.Here we incubated eggs in dark and light conditions to determine the effects of light exposure on embryonic development and offspring visual ability,spa tial cognitive ability and growth in a lacertid lizard,Eremias argus.Our experiments demonstrated that light stimulation shortened incubation duration of eggs,but did not affect hatching success,offspring size,visual ability or survival More interestingly,light exposure during incuba tion decreased spa tial cognitive ability and post-hatching growth of offspring On the basis of nega tive effects on offspring growth rates,our study indicates that in squamate reptiles with thin eggshells,light exposure in early development has negative effects on offspring cognitive ability.展开更多
基金supported by the Korean Ministry of Environment as "The Eco-Technopia 21 Project (#052-091-080)"
文摘Information on habitat use is critical in sizing protected areas for endangered reptile species. To investigate habitat use, home range, and hibernaculum of the endangered Mongolian Racerunner(Eremias argus), we radio-tracked 40 specimens in a coastal sand dune in South Korea. Of the 163 locations recorded during the breeding season, 150(92.0%) were in grass sand dunes, and the rest(8.0%), all associated with the same lizard, were in shrub sand dunes. All of the 123 locations recorded during the non-breeding season were in grass sand dunes. No lizards were found in the grasslands abutting the dunes. The four lizards with identifiable hibernation sites were found under an average of 17.8 cm of sand and were all located in grass sand dunes. The lizards moved approximately 5 m daily and used 162 m2of home range(computed by minimum convex polygon, MCP) during the breeding season, and they moved approximately 2 m and used 68 m2of home range during the non-breeding season. However, the mean daily moved distances and MCP home ranges were not statistically significantly different between the seasons or between males and females. Our results suggest that in coastal sand dunes, E. argus uses grass sand dunes as its main habitat throughout the year. This finding could be used to determine the appropriate habitat size and to designate for the conservation of this endangered species.
基金Animal Ethics Committees at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences approved the ethics and protocol (IOZ14001) for the collection, handling, and husbandry of the study animalsBI J. H. (No.31660615) and SUN B. J. (No. 31870391 and 31500324) are supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘Sympatric reptiles are the ideal system for investigating temperature-driven coexistence. Understanding thermally physiological responses of sympatric lizards is necessary to reveal the physiological mechanisms that underpin the sympatric occurrence of reptiles. In this study, we used three lizard species, Eremias argus, E. multiocellata, and Phrynocephalus przewalskii, which are sympatric in the Inner Mongolia desert steppe, as a study system. By comparing their resting metabolic rates(RMR) and locomotion at different body temperatures, we aimed to better understand their physiological responses to thermal environments, which may explain the sympatric occurrence of these lizards. Our results showed that E. argus had significantly higher RMR and sprint speed than E. multiocellata, and higher RMR than P. przewalskii. In addition, the optimal temperature that maximized metabolic rates and locomotion for E. argus and E. multiocellata was 36°C, whereas for P. przewalskii it was 39°C. Our study revealed the physiological responses to temperatures that justify the sympatric occurrence of these lizards with different thermal and microhabitat preferences and active body temperatures. Eremias argus and E. multiocellata, which have lower body temperatures than P. przewalskii, depend on higher RMR and locomotion to compensate for their lower body temperatures in field conditions. Our study also highlights the importance of using an integrative approach, combining behavior and physiology, to explore the basis of sympatric occurrence in ectothermic species.
基金We thank Tingting WANG,Yige CHEN and Peng CAO for assistance.AIll procedures were performed under the approval(IOZ14001)from the Animal Ethics Comittee at the Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences Funding was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China(31500324 for Baojun SUN and 31801977 for Shuran LI).
文摘Light is essential for embryonic development in many ovipa rous animals including fish,amphibians,and birds.However,light may be harmful for reptile embryos developing underground where they are in complete darkness and beneath thin eggshells.Nonetheless,how embryonic light conditions affect reptile development and offspring remains largely unknown.Here we incubated eggs in dark and light conditions to determine the effects of light exposure on embryonic development and offspring visual ability,spa tial cognitive ability and growth in a lacertid lizard,Eremias argus.Our experiments demonstrated that light stimulation shortened incubation duration of eggs,but did not affect hatching success,offspring size,visual ability or survival More interestingly,light exposure during incuba tion decreased spa tial cognitive ability and post-hatching growth of offspring On the basis of nega tive effects on offspring growth rates,our study indicates that in squamate reptiles with thin eggshells,light exposure in early development has negative effects on offspring cognitive ability.
