Meeting Abstract
124.2 Monday, Jan. 7 Covariation of dorsal pattern, locomotor performance and escape behavior MILES, D.B*; Ohio University urosaurus@gmail.com
As temperatures rise and habitats become less favorable, species may shift their distributions, adapt to the new environments, or go extinct. However, phenotypic plasticity is likely to be an immediate response for coping with climate change. We have documented fluctuation in dorsal melanin patterns in the common lizard Zootoca vivipara that is consistent with variation in June temperatures. Individuals exhibit two dorsal patterns, reticulated and linear, with the latter morph having higher amounts of melanin. Variation in dorsal melanin should affect thermoregulatory behavior and covary with habitat structure (openness), and local climatic conditions (e.g., elevation), which may affect basking behavior and field active Tb. Variation in Tb has performance consequences and hence affects individual fitness and ultimately population dynamics. Few studies have examined the interaction between habitat structure, dorsal pattern, escape behavior and locomotor performance. We measured locomotor performance and escape behavior for 18 populations of common lizards during 2007 and 2008. The populations occupied habitats at different altitudes and differed in structure. More reticulated females occurred in open habitats at low elevation sites, but linear individuals predominated at high elevation, humid sites with higher vegetation cover. Endurance and maximum velocity was greater in linear than reticulate females, but only during 2008, a cool, wet year. Escape behavior covaried with morphotype and habitat. Reticulated females from open, disturbed habitats tended to reverse and stop more frequently when running than linear females. Linear females from closed habitats reversed more frequently when running on the treadmill, which mimics their escape behavior in the wild. These results suggest that variation in dorsal pattern affects performance differences that correspond with habitat and thermal opportunities.
