Low Incubation Temperatures Negatively Influence Locomotor Performance and Behavior of the Nocturnal Lizard Oligosoma Suteri (Lacertidae: Scincidae)
We investigated the effects of artificial incubation regimes, experimental temperature, and age on the locomotor performance of New Zealand's only endemic oviparous lizard, Oligosoma suteri. Artificial incubation is often used to produce founders of new populations of endangered reptiles and can have significant effect on juvenile phenotype. Eggs of O. suteri were randomly distributed among three incubation temperatures (18, 22, 26°C). Juvenile (n = 117) maximum sprint speed was measured over three trials at 18, 22, and 26°C, and at one and four months of age, and behaviors during sprinting trials recorded. Sprint speed increased with an increase in experimental temperature and age. After removing the effect of individual size, juveniles incubated at low temperatures (18°C) were slower and exhibited locomotor behaviors likely to be detrimental for their survival (running towards stimulus). Individuals were consistently fast (or slow) at any given age or experimental temperature. Our data suggest that O. suteri incubated at warmer temperatures may have higher survival when released to the wild.Abstract
Unadjusted maximum sprint speed of juvenile O. suteri incubated at 18, 22, and 26°C (see Table 1 for size adjusted values and sample sizes), and measured three times (trial) at ambient experimental temperatures of 18, 22, and 26°C. Maximum sprint speed is not significantly different over three trials, is greater in individuals incubated at 22 and 26°C, and at four months of age (dashed line) than one month of age (dotted line) for 22°C and 26°C incubated individuals. Bars are ± SE.
Contributor Notes
Section Editor: R. Mason.
1School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
2Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand, e-mail: Kelly.Hare@otago.ac.nz. Send reprint requests to this address.
3School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.