Activity performance and sprint speed in Lazarus lizards (Podarcis muralis)
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Northern Kentucky University
Abstract
As thermoregulators, lizard movement is influenced by changing temperatures across seasons in temperate ecosystems. Lizard thermal performance may or may not be plastic to allow successful invasion or introduction to new locations with different thermal regimes. Measuring locomotor performance can determine an individual’s ability to capture prey or escape predation. This study tests sprint speed performance in the introduced European wall lizard, Podarcis muralis, established in Cincinnati since 1952. Measuring performance of introduced lizards at various body temperatures on a 0.5 m racetrack will determine if their thermal optimum differs from the 33-35˚C thermal optimum of native European populations.
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2020 Celebration of Student Research and Creativity presentation
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Presentation
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Keywords
Lizards, Body temperature Regulation, Running speed