Rock-Ground Patchiness in a Simple Liolaemus Lizard Community (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Iguanidae)

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Abstract
Lizard communities in Chile and California [USA] exhibit rock vs. ground microhabitat partitioning. Two hypotheses explaining this phenomenon, zonation due to differences in food requirements by the species and zonation due to different needs for hiding places from predators, are investigated. Observations and collections of 2 spp. of Liolaemus [L. nigromaculatus and L. platei] (Iguanidae) lizards in a simple habitat suggest the 2 lizard species do not differ significantly in their food preferences and morphological and behavioral differences between species can be related to different predation risks. The species using rocks, presumably the more protected area, tends to be larger, more color and size dimorphic than the species foraging preferentially on the open ground. A natural experiment of decreased effective bird predation risk, further suggests predation is a likely factor in the explanation of rock-ground zonation in these lizards. The roles of interspecific competition and lizard predation are discussed in relation with the Liolaemus community investigated.