ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF LIZARDS (SQUAMATA) NO PARQUE ESTADUAL DE LAJEADO - PEL: DESCRIPTION OF VARIATIONS IN LOCOMOTOR PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE

Authors

  • Carlos Eduardo Vieira Maciel Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5349-9295
  • Heitor Campos de Souza Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT)
  • Adriana Malvasio Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT)
  • Guarino Rinaldi Colli Universidade de Brasília–UnB
  • Thiago Costa Gonçalves Portelinha https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2489-9113

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20873/pibic_2024_21124

Abstract

Brazil has the third-largest reptile fauna in the world, with a significant portion of this biodiversity found in the Cerrado. However, an economic development model based on agribusiness and the exploitation of natural resources can drive major environmental changes, particularly in climatic conditions. Habitat modification may lead to a biodiversity risk, especially for tropical ectothermic organisms such as lizards, as they are sensitive or even intolerant to high temperatures. This characteristic can affect species' growth rates and persistence, as these animals restrict their activity to a specific range of body temperatures. Thus, this study assessed the effects of temperature variation on lizards captured in the Parque Estadual do Lajeado (PEL), Tocantins, Brazil. Two experiments were conducted: the first aimed to evaluate how locomotor performance is affected when exposed to different temperatures (ambient, cold, and hot); the second analyzed the physiological response of lizards when subjected to critically low (Ctmin) and critically high (Ctmáx) temperatures. These data may support future studies that seek to estimate the extinction  risk of these species in the face of climate change.

Published

2025-04-30

How to Cite

Vieira Maciel, C. E., Campos de Souza, H., Malvasio, A., Rinaldi Colli, G., & Costa Gonçalves Portelinha, T. (2025). ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF LIZARDS (SQUAMATA) NO PARQUE ESTADUAL DE LAJEADO - PEL: DESCRIPTION OF VARIATIONS IN LOCOMOTOR PERFORMANCE AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE. DESAFIOS - Revista Interdisciplinar Da Universidade Federal Do Tocantins, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.20873/pibic_2024_21124

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