Comparing Preferred Temperatures and Evaporative Water Loss Rates in Two Syntopic Populations of Lacertid Lizard Species.

Many reptiles actively regulate their body temperature. During thermoregulation, they suffer evaporative water loss (EWL). Since evaporation increases with temperature, EWL could limit the activity of ectotherms when water is not available. In this study, we compared the preferred body temperatures (T) and EWL of two lacertid lizard species, and , at the western edge of 's range, where they live in syntopy. We hypothesized that , a species that inhabits forested and humid environments, would have a higher EWL than the more widespread . Our results show that prefers lower temperatures (mean T = 28.1 °C) than (mean T = 30.6 °C). Despite the differences in their thermal preferences, both species showed similar total EWL (2.76% for and 2.67% for ), although their daily patterns of water loss differed. Our results suggest that has developed mechanisms to control water loss and that its lower thermal preference may be due to both historical factors and local adaptations. These results contribute to the understanding of how environmental factors influence the physiology of lizards, which in turn has implications for predicting the effects of climate change on species distribution.