Meeting Abstract
Surviving winter by retreating into hibernacula is a key aspect for many animal species’ survival. However, animal behavior is usually studied during the growing season and is not well documented during winter. Previous research has suggested that reptiles remain inactive during the entirety of the winter with periodic arousals due to warm temperatures. In order to determine if lizard activity was related to thermal cues or other environmental variables (i.e., convection, radiation, or time of winter), we used wildlife cameras and temperature sensors to observe known hibernacula of side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana). We also acquired wind and irradiance data from nearby weather stations. Cameras took pictures regularly allowing us to score lizard activity, which was episodic throughout winter. These data allowed us to analyze winter emergence cues used by lizards. We found that lizards emerge from their hibernacula to bask when wind speeds were low, when irradiance was high, and when further from mid-winter. These results suggest that lizards are not relying strictly on temperature to cue winter activity, but rather also use other environmental variables.
