Meeting Abstract
To understand how an introduced species spreads, biologists must study the physiology of invasive species. Adaptive plasticity of physiological traits, such as shifting in heat tolerance as the environment warms, likely helps a species invade novel environments. We studied the thermal physiology of the invasive lizard (Leiocephalus carinatus), which natively occupies rocky, open coastal habitats in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Honduras. This species was introduced to the southeastern United States in the 1940s and is now established in southern Florida. We quantified its thermal tolerance range and the thermal sensitivity of performance by sampling a population in West Palm Beach, FL during winter and spring. In spring, lizards tolerated higher body temperatures and reached greater maximal speeds but had narrower performance breadths. Our data suggest that the thermal physiology of the northern curly tail lizard can acclimate to climatic conditions. By assessing the ability of an invasive species to expand its range and acclimate to novel conditions, we can better understand how biological invasions occur.
