Meeting Abstract
As we move further into the Anthropocene, introduced species continue to be a major environmental problem . As such, understanding how introduced species become successful is becoming increasingly important. Since the climate is steadily warming, performance at higher temperatures is likely to be an increasingly important factor in species competition. A common invasive species in the Southeastern United States is the Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei), which is outcompeting the native Green Anole (A. carolinensis) where the two species co-occur. In this study, we tested for differences in temperature-dependent activity levels between A. sagrei and A. carolinensis. We predicted that A. sagrei would be active at a higher and/or wider range of temperatures. The research was conducted in both urban and rural environments in the greater New Orleans area. To collect activity data, we observed subjects for 5-15 minutes each and recorded how long they performed active behaviors such as moving, displaying, and feeding. We estimated body temperature at the end of each observation with a copper model containing a thermal probe. For both species, we observed activity over a 20-degree range of temperatures. Contrary to our prediction, we found no significant difference in activity level between the two species across a range of summer temperatures. Therefore, greater activity at high temperatures does not appear to facilitate the competitive advantage of A. sagrei. Our next step will be to measure activity levels during winter months to determine if low temperature activity patterns differ between the species.
