Meeting Abstract
Analyzing microhabitats can provide insights into ecomorphology, as well as community structure and assembly. The Southeast Asian skink genus, Bracyhmeles is semi-fossorial, yet little is known about its species’ ecologies. Species of Bracyhmeles range in form from long, slender, and completely limbless, to robust, limbed, and pentadactyl in form. In addition, several species exhibit intermediate morphologies including reduced limbs with zero to five digits. Phylogenetic analyses support evidence for complete limb loss and multiple instances of digit loss and re-acquisition. We sought to test whether limb and digit loss and re-acquisition was related to microhabitat use. Microhabitat variables included soil moisture, pH, density, and particle size composition. In addition, canopy cover data, ground cover data, and habitat characteristics such as proximity and size of trees and shrubs were collected. Ten species were analyzed: four fully limbed, five with reduced limbs and digits, and one that was completely limbless. We expected differences in microhabitat selection with more robust and pentadactyl species occupying soils of greater particle size and density in spaces with more ground cover. We expected that species with reduced limbs and digits would inhabit soils with finer particle size and lower density, as well as less ground cover. Overall, we discovered species with differing morphologies did not partition their microhabitat. We hypothesize that resource partitioning may be occurring in other aspects of the niche such as diet. Robust, pentadactyl species may be eating larger prey than diminutive species, indicating that Brachymeles communities assemble with respect to trophic structure.
