When the Cover Burns: Behavioral and Morphological Responses of Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) to...

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity due to human activity, yet the behavioral and morphological responses of animals to post-fire stressors remain poorly understood. We linked increased canopy openness in recently burned areas with a greater number of predator attacks on clay models of Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis). We also examined whether lizards that recently experienced a fire exhibited morphological shifts in dorsal darkness to better match the darkened substrates of burned environments and whether they shifted perch use to enhance background matching on substrates that reduce conspicuousness in these altered environments. Lizard dorsal darkness and background matching increased with substrate darkness (i.e., they were better camouflaged against burned substrates), but populations from burned habitats were not overall darker in coloration than those from unburned habitats. This was likely due to a preference for using unburned wooden perches, resulting in an average dorsal darkness comparable to lizards in unburned sites. Despite increased predator attacks in recently burned areas, lizards may not consistently adopt behaviors that enhance background matching in post-fire landscapes. This study provides valuable insights into the behaviors of animals affected by fires and highlights potential trade-offs that could affect reproduction or survival.