Meeting Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a recent phenomenon that disrupts the behavior and physiology of animals as diverse as humans, birds, rodents, fish, and insects. In this study, we investigated the impacts of ALAN on the behavior and physiology of the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Two groups of 12 male and 12 female wild-caught anoles were exposed to different light-dark cycles in a controlled lab setting for six weeks. One group was exposed to a light-dark cycle that simulated the natural cycle of a summer day in San Antonio, Texas and the other group was exposed to the natural light-dark cycle and a nighttime ALAN regime that simulated the streetlights on an urban university campus. After an acclimation period, we conducted a series of behavioral trials. Three trials were repeated during mid-day and mid-night: open field tests, to examine exploratory behavior; foraging trials, to examine prey consumption; and conspecific trials, to examine same-sex interactions. The fourth trial examined behavioral time allocation over two 24-hour periods. At the conclusion of behavioral trials, we measured body mass and the mass of each lizard’s fat pads, livers, and testes or ovaries and eggs. Our data suggest that green anoles exposed to ALAN are more likely to be awake at night. While they are awake, anoles exposed to ALAN appear to use the light to explore, forage, and defend their territory. Additionally, exposure to ALAN does not appear to influence anole reproduction or body composition. In sum, ALAN appears to facilitate an increase in activity level without adversely affecting green anole health over a short-term exposure.
