[The ecophysiology of Agama mutabilis Merren, in southern Tunisia]

The behavioural thermoregulation and rate of water turnover of the lizard Agama mutabilis were studied in southern Tunisia in summer and compared with another agamid, Amphibolurus inermis, Which occuies a similar habitat in Australia. The thermoregulatory sequence differs little between the two species although Agama mutabilis lacks a burrow and is probably more resistant to elevated body temperatures. Agama mutabilis has an extremely low rate of water turnover for such a small lizard [3,37 ml (100 g.day)-1] and ins probably, on the whole, better-adapted physiologically to desert conditions than Amphibolurus inermis.