| an integrated assessment of a group with complex systematics: the iberomaghrebian lizard genus podarcis (squamata, lacertidae). | a critical review of the evolutionary biology of iberian and north african lizard members of the genus podarcis (lacertidae) based on phylogeny, phylogeography, morphometrics, behavior, ecology and physiology is presented. the iberomaghrebian region is inhabited by at least 12 different evolutionary lineages that group into a monophyletic clade (except podarcis muralis). in contrast to the current taxonomy, the saxicolous 'podarcis hispanica' is paraphyletic with respect to podarcis bocagei and ... | 2008 | 21396075 |
| the use of a lacertid lizard as a model for reptile ecotoxicology studies--part 1 field demographics and morphology. | at the european level, lacertid lizards have been proposed as potential model species for reptile ecotoxicology. we studied demographic and morphological aspects of natural field subpopulations of podarcis bocagei inhabiting similar agricultural habitats which were either regularly exposed to pesticides, or not. parameters examined in this study included population size and density, sex ratio, adult body size, fluctuating asymmetry in femoral pores and parasite prevalence. in general, we detecte ... | 2012 | 22321810 |
| the use of a lacertid lizard as a model for reptile ecotoxicology studies: part 2--biomarkers of exposure and toxicity among pesticide exposed lizards. | as part of a wider study examining the impacts of corn pesticides on lacertid lizards in north-western portugal, we examined various physiological, biochemical, and histological biomarkers of exposure and effect among field populations of podarcis bocagei. biomarkers included body condition index, standard metabolic rate, locomotor performance, parasitization, glutathione oxidative pathways and related enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation and liver and testis histology. few of the various biomark ... | 2012 | 22349063 |
| biomarkers of exposure and effect in a lacertid lizard (podarcis bocagei seoane) exposed to chlorpyrifos. | in europe, reptiles have been recently included in environmental risk-assessment processes for registration of plant-protection products. however, data on toxicity effects of most compounds are lacking. chlorpyrifos is the most commonly used organophosphorus insecticide worldwide. in the present study, the authors exposed a lacertid lizard, podarcis bocagei, to sublethal concentrations of chlorpyrifos. individuals were exposed through spiked food for a period of 20 d (low dose 0.12 mg/kg/d, high ... | 2012 | 22825965 |
| run for your life, but bite for your rights? how interactions between natural and sexual selection shape functional morphology across habitats. | a central issue in evolutionary biology is how morphology, performance, and habitat use coevolve. if morphological variation is tightly associated with habitat use, then differences in morphology should affect fitness through their effect on performance within specific habitats. in this study, we investigate how evolutionary forces mold morphological traits and performance differently given the surrounding environment, at the intraspecific level. for this purpose, we selected populations of the ... | 2018 | 29294185 |
| physiological differences in preferred temperatures and evaporative water loss rates in two sympatric lacertid species. | sister species living in sympatry offer the opportunity to study the degree of divergence in their ecological, physiological and life-history traits. it has been hypothesized that closely related species with overlapping distribution should differ in their niche to reduce competition for resources. furthermore, the investigation of sympatric species may shed light on how they may coexist without outcompeting each other. in the present study, we assess the degree of physiological divergence in tw ... | 2017 | 29306684 |
| does ecophysiology mediate reptile responses to fire regimes? evidence from iberian lizards. | background. reptiles are sensitive to habitat disturbance induced by wildfires but species frequently show opposing responses. functional causes of such variability have been scarcely explored. in the northernmost limit of the mediterranean bioregion, lizard species of mediterranean affinity (psammodromus algirus and podarcis guadarramae) increase in abundance in burnt areas whereas atlantic species (lacerta schreiberi and podarcis bocagei) decrease. timon lepidus, the largest mediterranean liza ... | 2016 | 27330864 |
| detection of zoonotic and livestock-specific assemblages of giardia duodenalis in free-living wild lizards. | giardia duodenalis is a zoonotic parasite that infects the gut of a wide range of vertebrates, including numerous wildlife species. however, little is known about this protozoan parasite in reptiles. fecal samples from 31 wild lizards were collected in galicia (northwest spain) and screened for the presence of giardia by pcr amplification and sequencing of the its1-5.8s-its2 region in the ribosomal unit. this allowed detection of the parasite in 5 samples (16.1%), and enabled identification of g ... | 2017 | 28699999 |
| permanent genetic resources added to molecular ecology resources database 1 april 2013-31 may 2013. | this article documents the addition of 234 microsatellite marker loci to the molecular ecology resources database. loci were developed for the following species: acipenser sinensis, aleochara bilineata, aleochara bipustulata, barbus meridionalis, colossoma macropomum, delia radicum, drosophila nigrosparsa, fontainea picrosperma, helianthemum cinereum, liomys pictus, megabalanus azoricus, pelteobagrus vachelli, pleuragramma antarcticum, podarcis hispanica type 1a, sardinella brasiliensis and scle ... | 2013 | 23937578 |
| haemogregarine blood parasites in the lizards podarcis bocagei (seoane) and p. carbonelli (pérez-mellado) (sauria: lacertidae) from nw portugal. | in iberian and canarian lizards, haemogregarines have been recorded infecting erythrocytes, but most of the records correspond to mature gametocytes. we analysed blood smears from 75 specimens of podarcis bocagei (seoane) and 33 specimens of p. carbonelli (pérez-mellado) from localities of north-western portugal. we found haemogregarines in 74.7% of p. bocagei and 69.7% of p. carbonelli. our observations show characteristics of the haemogregarines other than the morphology of the mature gametocy ... | 2010 | 20012520 |
| chemically mediated species recognition in closely related podarcis wall lizards. | in many animals, chemical signals play an important role in species recognition and may contribute to reproductive isolation and speciation. the iberian lizards of the genus podarcis, with up to nine currently recognized lineages that are often sympatric, are highly chemosensory and provide an excellent model for the study of chemically mediated species recognition in closely related taxa. in this study, we tested the ability of male and female lizards of two sister species with widely overlappi ... | 2006 | 16718555 |
| multivariate and geometric morphometrics in the analysis of sexual dimorphism variation in podarcis lizards. | podarcis bocagei and p. carbonelli are two closely related lacertid species, very similar morphologically and ecologically. we investigated sexual dimorphism patterns presented by both species in allopatry and in sympatry. sexual size and shape dimorphism patterns were analyzed using both multivariate and geometric morphometric techniques. multivariate morphometrics revealed a marked sexual dimorphism in both species--males being larger with more robust habitus and females presenting a longer tr ... | 2007 | 17236187 |
| contrasting patterns of population subdivision and historical demography in three western mediterranean lizard species inferred from mitochondrial dna variation. | pleistocene climatic oscillations were a major force shaping genetic variability in many taxa. we analyse the relative effects of the ice ages across a latitudinal gradient in the western mediterranean region, testing two main predictions: (i) species with historical distributions in northern latitudes should have experienced greater loss of suitable habitat, resulting in higher extinction of historical lineages than species distributed in southern latitudes, where the effects of the ice ages we ... | 2007 | 17391406 |
| intraspecific ecomorphological variation: linear and geometric morphometrics reveal habitat-related patterns within podarcis bocagei wall lizards. | morphological variation in relation to habitat is known to occur in several lizard groups. comparative studies have linked morphology and habitat use, showing that locomotion is the principal mediator of this evolutionary relationship. here, we investigate intraspecific ecomorphological variation in podarcis bocagei by examining three habitat types, representing a variety between saxicolous and ground-dwelling habits. our results indicate variation in absolute and relative limb length, but patte ... | 2010 | 20406345 |
| thyroid disruption in the lizard podarcis bocagei exposed to a mixture of herbicides: a field study. | pesticide exposure has been related with thyroid disrupting effects in different vertebrate species. however, very little is known about the effects of these compounds in reptiles. in the mediterranean area, lacertid lizards are the most abundant vertebrate group in agroecosystems, and have been identified as potential model species for reptile ecotoxicology. the aim of this study was to understand if the herbicides applied in corn fields have thyroid disruptive effects in the lizard podarcis bo ... | 2013 | 23143802 |
| molecular survey and microscopic examination of hepatozoon miller, 1908 (apicomplexa: adeleorina) in lacertid lizards from the western mediterranean. | the genus hepatozoon miller, 1908 (apicomplexa: adeleorina) is composed of intracellular haemogregarine parasites that are widely distributed among all tetrapod groups. the present study combines microscopic and molecular data on haemogregarine parasites from lizards in the western mediterranean. we screened tissue samples and examined blood smears for the presence of species of hepatozoon from four lizards, namely algyroides marchi valverde, endemic to southeast spain, podarcis bocagei seoane f ... | 2012 | 23327004 |
| high pathogen prevalence in an amphibian and reptile assemblage at a site with risk factors for dispersal in galicia, spain. | ranaviruses are agents of disease, mortality and population declines in ectothermic vertebrates and emergences have been repeatedly linked to human activities. ranaviruses in the common midwife toad ranavirus lineage are emerging in europe. they are known to be severe multi-host pathogens of amphibians and can also cause disease in reptiles. recurrent outbreaks of ranavirus disease and mortality affecting three species have occurred at a small reservoir in north-west spain but no data were avail ... | 2020 | 32730306 |
| are mountain habitats becoming more suitable for generalist than cold-adapted lizards thermoregulation? | mountain lizards are highly vulnerable to climate change, and the continuous warming of their habitats could be seriously threatening their survival. we aim to compare the thermal ecology and microhabitat selection of a mountain lizard, iberolacerta galani, and a widely distributed lizard, podarcis bocagei, in a montane area. both species are currently in close syntopy in the study area, at 1,400 m above the sea level. we determined the precision, accuracy and effectiveness of thermoregulation, ... | 2016 | 27280076 |
| learning from others: an invasive lizard uses social information from both conspecifics and heterospecifics. | species that are able to solve novel problems through social learning from either a conspecific or a heterospecific may gain a significant advantage in new environments. we tested the ability of a highly successful invasive species, the italian wall lizard podarcis sicula, to solve a novel foraging task when social information was available from both a conspecific and an unfamiliar heterospecific (podarcis bocagei). we found that italian wall lizards that had access to social information made fe ... | 2018 | 30333265 |