Meeting Abstract
Dominica is historically a one-Anole Island with Anolis oculatus inhabiting most available habitats. Populations of this species have undergone adaptive radiation with a number of recognized sub-populations that are morphologically distinct but not reproductively isolated. Fifteen to twenty years ago a second Anole, Anolis cristatellus, invaded Dominica and has sense become relatively widespread. In the warm lowlands, the two species appear to remain in sympatry with a noted constriction of the native species’ niche. However, they do not co-occur in upland sites which tend to be cooler and wetter. Here we investigate the thermal ecology of both species to determine what factors may be important for their coexistence and how we may expect climate change to affect their distribution. We characterize their thermal habitats and report differences in thermal optimum for the fitness-related measures of sprint speed and bite force of both species in two habitats. These data show that they are thermally distinct yet may be partitioning their thermal niches. However, climate change may favor A. cristatellus if temperatures continue to increase at the current rate.
