Do incubation-induced changes in a lizard's phenotype influence its vulnerability to predators?

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Herpetology

Background:

• Incubation temperatures significantly impact reptile hatchling phenotypes.
• The fitness consequences of these temperature-induced phenotypic shifts, particularly regarding predation, remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how incubation temperatures affect traits related to predation vulnerability in three lizard species.
• To assess the direct impact of incubation temperature on hatchling lizards' susceptibility to snake predators.

Main Methods:

• Eggs of three sympatric lizard species were incubated at thermal extremes.
• Hatchling traits influencing predator susceptibility (morphology, locomotion, chemosensation) were measured.
• Laboratory encounters with snake predators were conducted to assess actual vulnerability.

Main Results:

• Incubation temperature influenced hatching date, morphology, locomotor performance, and predator avoidance.
• Temperature did not alter hatchling attractiveness to snakes or antipredator tactics like fleeing or tail autotomy.
• Phenotypic shifts varied significantly among species and were dependent on body temperature and age.

Conclusions:

• Incubation temperatures modify lizard phenotypes, affecting traits crucial for predator-prey interactions and overall fitness.
• Predation vulnerability is a key pathway through which incubation regimes influence organismal fitness in reptiles.