Eurythermy and Niche Expansion in Lizards

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Anolis oculatus is an endemic species of lizard on the Lesser Antillean island of Dominica. It is the solitary anole of the island and is found throughout a diversity of habitats. A study of the body temperatures of various populations indicates that the lizards are passive to a broad range of temperatures and do not demonstrate any specific preferred body temperature in the field. The species is eurytopic and occupies a broader ecological niche than the anoles of the Greater Antilles. In this species eurytopy is accompanied by eurythermy. It is suggested that other species of anoles may also be eurythermic. The narrow thermal niches of Greater Antillean species may be a function of interspecific competition limiting the spatial niche of the species and consequently limiting the range of environmental temperatures that are available to the lizards.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: