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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
05:31
Determining Temperature Preference of Mosquitoes and Other Ectotherms
Published on: September 28, 2022
Incubation temperature modifies neonatal thermoregulation in the lizard Anolis carolinensis
Rachel M Goodman1, Justin W Walguarnery
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1610, USA. rmgoodman@utk.edu
Summary
Incubation temperature influences lizard thermoregulation. Juvenile Anolis carolinensis show temperature selection plasticity, with differences diminishing over time, suggesting this trait is specific to neonatal development.
Area of Science:
- Herpetology
- Ecology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Embryonic thermal environment significantly impacts ectotherm phenotypes and fitness.
- Understanding thermal preferences is crucial for ectotherm survival and adaptation.
- Anolis carolinensis, an oviparous lizard, serves as a model organism for studying reptilian thermal biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of incubation temperature on the thermal preferences of juvenile Anolis carolinensis.
- To determine if temperature selection plasticity observed in neonates persists into later developmental stages.
- To compare thermal plasticity between juvenile and adult Anolis carolinensis.
Main Methods:
- Juvenile Anolis carolinensis were incubated at different temperatures.
- Temperature preference trials were conducted in a laboratory thermal gradient shortly after hatching and again after 22-27 days.
- Data analysis focused on the interquartile range (IQR) and median of selected temperatures.
Main Results:
- Incubation temperature significantly affected the upper limit of selected temperatures in newly hatched lizards.
- A significant decrease in the IQR and an increase in the lower limit and median selected temperatures were observed between the first and second trials.
- A significant interaction between incubation temperature and time indicated a convergence in thermoregulation patterns across treatment groups.
Conclusions:
- Juvenile Anolis carolinensis exhibit significant plasticity in temperature selection, influenced by incubation temperature.
- This plasticity in thermoregulation appears to be exclusive to the neonatal developmental period.
- Neonatal thermal plasticity in Anolis carolinensis contrasts with the lack of such plasticity found in adults, highlighting critical developmental windows for environmental influence.
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