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Digestive performance in five Mediterranean lizard species: effects of temperature and insularity

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Abstract

Temperature sensitivity of digestive processes has important ramifications for digestive performance in ectothermic vertebrates. We conducted a comparative analysis of temperature effects on digestive processes [gut passage times (GPTs) and apparent digestive efficiencies (ADEs)] in five lacertid lizards occurring in insular (Podarcis erhardii, P. gaigeae), and mainland (P. muralis, P. peloponnesiaca, Lacerta graeca) Mediterranean environments. GPTs were negatively correlated to temperature with mainland taxa having 10–20% longer GPTs than island taxa. In contrast to previous studies that estimate ADEs using bomb calorimetry, we compare ADEs by analyzing discrete efficiencies for lipids, sugars and proteins at three temperature regimes (20, 25, and 30°C); each of these categories produces different results. ADEs for lipids and sugars showed a monotonic increase with temperature whereas ADEs for proteins decreased with temperature. Island taxa had consistently higher ADEs than their mainland counterparts for lipids and for proteins but not for sugars. They are characterized by superior energy acquisition abilities despite significantly shorter GPTs. Their increased digestive performance relative to the mainland species appears to allow them to maximize energy acquisition in unproductive island environments where food availability is spatially and seasonally clustered.

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Acknowledgments

The present study was supported by grants from PYTHAGORAS II project of the Greek Ministry of Education and the European Union. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the program for Modern Greek at the University of Michigan. All experimental procedures are in full compliance with Greek national law (Presidential Degree 67/81) on the scientific use and protection of wildlife. Three anonymous reviewers provided insightful comments that greatly improved this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis 157-84, Athens, Greece

    P. Pafilis & E. Valakos

  2. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Dana Hall, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1041, USA

    J. Foufopoulos

  3. Molecular Systematics Lab, Natural History Museum of Crete, Knossos Av., P.O. Box 2208, 71409, Iraklion, Crete, Greece

    N. Poulakakis & P. Lymberakis

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  1. P. Pafilis
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  2. J. Foufopoulos
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  3. N. Poulakakis
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  4. P. Lymberakis
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  5. E. Valakos
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Correspondence to E. Valakos.

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Communicated by G. Heldmaier

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Pafilis, P., Foufopoulos, J., Poulakakis, N. et al. Digestive performance in five Mediterranean lizard species: effects of temperature and insularity. J Comp Physiol B 177, 49–60 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-006-0108-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-006-0108-5

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