Meeting Abstract
Knowledge of dynamics between an animal’s ecology and physiology can empower conservation. Such efforts are essential as we are on the precipice of a biodiversity crisis, particularly among vertebrates. Vertebrates can have physiological trade-offs to their life histories. It is within these trade-offs that conservation context can be extracted. Some of the least understood vertebrate physiological trade-offs are associated with stress. Corticosteroids associated with stress typically inhibit non-essential processes, such as reproduction and immune system. Coast Range Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii), specifically males, are intriguing models for physiological trade-off investigations. Males face tremendous pressure for successful reproductive events since they do not reach sexual maturity until late in life history. Most males only have one or two potential reproductive seasons. Thus, males often have simultaneously elevated androgen levels to help ensure reproductive success (e.g., territory defense, intraspecific competition, sperm production) and corticosteroid levels to mobilize energy for reproductive behaviors. However, the costs associated with simultaneously elevated androgens and corticosteroids are poorly understood. We hypothesized that male S. o. bocourtii would be more susceptible to parasitism as one potential physiological trade-off. We investigated the occurrence of ecto- (Western black-legged ticks, Ixodes pacificus) and endoparasites (Plasmodium mexicanum) in n=40 wild caught male S. o. bocourtii. Results could shed light onto potential physiological trade-offs to simultaneously elevated androgen and corticosteroid hormones, thus unraveling some complexities surrounding the current vertebrate biodiversity crisis.
