Skip to main content
WCS
Menu
Library
Library Catalog
eJournals & eBooks
WCS Research
Archives
Research Use
Finding Aids
Digital Collections
WCS History
WCS Research
Research Publications
Science Data
Services for WCS Researchers
Archives Shop
Bronx Zoo
Department of Tropical Research
Browse By Product
About Us
FAQs
Intern or Volunteer
Staff
Donate
Search WCS.org
Search
search
Popular Search Terms
WCS History
Library and Archives
Library and Archives Menu
Library
Archives
WCS Research
Archives Shop
About Us
Donate
en
fr
Title
Susceptibility of lizards to predation under two levels of vegetative cover
Author(s)
Pietrek, A.G.; Walker, R.S.; Novaro, A.J.
Published
2009
Publisher
Journal of Arid Environments
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2008.12.019
Abstract
The risk of increased predation is a potential cost for habitat specialists, when dispersing through non-habitat matrix. We hypothesized that dispersal success of lizards is limited by the loss of vegetative cover, as occurs with overgrazing, due to increased susceptibility to predation. We analyzed the movement behavior of the saxicolous lizards (Liolaemus elongatus and Phymaturus patagonicus) in the Patagonian steppe using a habitat generalist (Liolaemus bibroni) as a control species. We compared the proportion of stops on bare ground during movement in two experimental enclosures with different levels of vegetative cover. Both specialists and generalists stopped more frequently on bare ground when there was less vegetative cover, and specialists stopped more frequently than generalists on bare ground. We found no significant difference in the time it took specialists to reach the end of the enclosure in the two different levels of vegetative cover. Additionally we compared the time to capture by a human predator under the two levels of vegetative cover. All species were captured more quickly when there was less vegetative cover and we found a tendency towards shorter capture times in specialists than in generalists. Our results suggest that saxicolous lizards are more susceptible to predation with less vegetative cover. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
dispersal; generalist; lizard; movement; predation; specialist; steppe; vegetation cover; Patagonia; South America; Liolaemus; Liolaemus bibronii; Liolaemus elongatus; Phymaturus; Phymaturus patagonicus; Squamata
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the
WCS Library
to request.
Back
PUB10425