Diego-Rasilla, F.J., Pérez-Mellado, V. & Pérez-Cembranos, A. (2017). Spontaneous magnetic alignment behaviour in free-living lizards. Sci Nat, 104: 13. doi:10.1007/s00114-017-1439-7

The evidence from this study suggests that free-living lacertid lizards exhibit magnetic alignment behaviour, since their body alignments cannot be explained by an effect of the sun’s position. On the contrary, lizard orientations were significantly correlated with geomagnetic field values at the time of each observation. We suggest that this behaviour might provide lizards with a constant directional reference while they are sun basking. This directional reference might improve their mental map of space to accomplish efficient escape behaviour. This study is the first to provide spontaneous magnetic alignment behaviour in free-living reptiles. leer más >>>

Ferreira CC, Santos X, Carretero MA. 2016. Does ecophysiology mediate reptile responses to fire regimes? Evidence from Iberian lizards. PeerJ 4:e2107 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2107

Carretero, M. A., Salvador, A. (2016). Lagartija parda – Podarcis liolepis. En: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Marco, A. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/. Ir al enlace.

Gomes V, Carretero MA, Kaliontzopoulou A (2016) The relevance of morphology for habitat use and locomotion in two species of wall lizards. Acta Oecologica 70:87–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2015.12.005

Understanding if morphological differences between organisms that occupy different environments are associated to differences in functional performance can suggest a functional link between environmental and morphological variation. In this study we examined three components of the ecomorphological paradigm – morphology, locomotor performance and habitat use – using two syntopic wall lizards endemic to the Iberian Peninsula as a case study to establish whether morphological variation is associated with habitat use and determine the potential relevance of locomotor performance for such an association. Differences in habitat use between both lizards matched patterns of morphological variation. Indeed, individuals of Podarcis guadarramae lusitanicus, which are more flattened, used more rocky environments, whereas Podarcis bocagei, which have higher heads, used more vegetation than rocks. These patterns translated into a significant association between morphology and habitat use. Nevertheless, the two species were only differentiated in some of the functional traits quantified, and locomotor performance did not exhibit an association with morphological traits. Our results suggest that the link between morphology and habitat use is mediated by refuge use, rather than locomotor performance, in this system, and advise caution when extrapolating morphology-performance-environment associations across organisms.

Carneiro, D., E. García-Muñoz, A. Kaliontzopoulou, G. A. Llorente & M. A. Carretero (2015) Salamandra 51(4). pp. 335-344.

In ectotherms, environmental factors shape the distribution of species mediated by ecophysiological constraints such as thermal requirements and water stress. Species with different distributions along an environmental gradient are expected to show contrasting  responses in thermal-gradient and water-stress lab experiments. We examined basic thermal and hydric physiological traits throughout the day in two related lizard species with different, but partially overlapping, distributions in the Iberian Peninsula: Podarcis liolepis (abundant but mostly restricted to northeastern Iberia) and P. muralis (restricted in Iberia but widespread across Europe). We expected P. liolepis to opt for higher preferred body temperatures and have lower water loss rates as compared to P. muralis. Surprisingly, results revealed no differences in preferred body temperatures between species or sexes. Conversely, interspecific differences in the temporal profiles of water
loss were found. Results suggest that water availability rather than thermal environment shapes the biogeographical patterns of both species.