Ectotherms and their Environment: Environmental Impacts on Thermoregulation Strategy In The lizard - Podarcis muralis

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Ectothermic organisms depend entirely on the surrounding environment in order to maintain thermal balance. If the environment has low thermal quality, or if they are not in range of their thermal optimum, they must adjust their behavior to compensate. To uncover the mechanisms and driving forces behind lizard thermoregulation, we must first understand how environmental temperatures affect lizards, and how they accordingly respond. In this project, we address questions about the role of humidity and moisture levels in lizard thermoregulation and the impact of the surrounding environment on lizard activity levels. Further, we investigate how regional heterothermy (maintaining different temperatures in different regions of the body) fluctuates in a changing environment. To answer these questions, we will conduct research on the lizard species Podarcis muralis, the Common Wall Lizard. This species is an active diurnal thermoregulator native to Europe, but found in abundance here in southern Ohio. This makes it an ideal organism to conduct experiments studying how ectotherms compensate for environmental changes that impact thermoregulation. We will conduct field transects of natural populations and use 3D printed model lizards to measure operative temperatures in the field. The environment (temperature, humidity, light levels, etc.) and subject (body and cloacal temperature, activity levels, etc.) will be quantified to test hypotheses that will give us insight on understanding how ectothermic organisms respond and adapt to shifts in the environment. As climate change impacts the Earth, many organisms, especially ectotherms, will need to adjust their thermal interactions with the surrounding environment.