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Energetics in Liolaemini lizards: implications of a small body size and ecological conservatism

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Abstract

Liolaemini lizards occur in southern South America in a variety of dietary habits across a broad latitudinal and altitudinal distribution. We studied standard metabolic rates of 19 Liolaemini species and analyzed these data using both conventional and phylogenetically informed statistics. Oxygen consumption showed a significant and positive relationship with body mass (SMR = 0.109 × body mass0.876±0.023), with a higher slope than that expected on the basis of the three-quarter power law model. After phylogenetically informed and conventional analyses, no significant differences in metabolic rates were found to be related to diet or elevation. We hypothesize that small body size, ecological conservatism and physiological compensation may explain the lack of differences in metabolic rates observed among these lizards.

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Acknowledgments

J.C. Acosta, J. Villavicencio gave great help in the field. We thank M. Angilletta Jr., A. Herrel, D. Milano, J. Schulte II and two anonymous reviewers for their critical reading of early versions of the manuscript. We specially thank A. Herrel for helping us further than reviewing the manuscript. Fauna authorities provided permits to collect in the following Argentine provinces; Neuquén (C. Buzzo), Río Negro (M. Faillá), Salta (A. Ortin), La Rioja (A. Norino), San Juan (Z. Invernazi) and Catamarca (E. Fra). This study was partially supported by PICT-ANPyCT 06-01205, and PIP CONICET 6287.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INIBIOMA (CONICET-UNCOMA) Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

    Félix B. Cruz

  2. CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Daniel Antenucci & Facundo Luna

  3. CONICET, Instituto de Herpetología, Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, UNT, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina

    Cristian S. Abdala

  4. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Laura E. Vega

Authors
  1. Félix B. Cruz
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  2. Daniel Antenucci
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  3. Facundo Luna
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  4. Cristian S. Abdala
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  5. Laura E. Vega
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Félix B. Cruz.

Additional information

Communicated by I.D. Hume

D. Antenucci was formerly Antinuchi.

Appendix

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Table 5 List o f Liolaemus (L.) and Phymaturus (P.) species collected for the present
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Cruz, F.B., Antenucci, D., Luna, F. et al. Energetics in Liolaemini lizards: implications of a small body size and ecological conservatism. J Comp Physiol B 181, 373–382 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-010-0524-4

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