Meeting Abstract

P2.141  Thursday, Jan. 5  Effects of nighttime warming on reproduction in side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) CLARKE, D. Nat; ZANI, Peter A.*; Whitman College; Pomona College bichodopei@yahoo.com

We experimentally simulated asymmetric nighttime temperature increase associated with climate change during the ovarian cycle of wild-caught female lizards and during subsequent incubation of eggs. We found that higher nighttime temperatures increased female’s reproductive success and advanced reproductive timing, but did not affect clutch or egg size. Higher temperatures during incubation did not alter hatching success, but did shorten incubation period and result in longer, heavier hatchlings. Overwintering success of hatchlings was negatively related to hatch date with lizards requiring at least 45 d growth to ensure winter survival. Our results suggest that nighttime warming will primarily impact reproductive success and timing as well as subsequent fitness in temperate ectotherms.