Global change is also affecting the behaviour and mobility of the ocellated lizard, a reptile typical of Mediterranean ecosystems. This species - the largest lizard on the Iberian Peninsula - could experience changes in its ability to move efficiently between shelters and feeding areas, escape predators and interact with its natural environment. This is the conclusion of a paper published in the Journal of Animal Ecology led by researcher Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) at the University of Barcelona.
The study describes how the behaviour of the ocellated lizard varies in response to rising temperatures, a vital aspect for reptiles and other ectothermic organisms, which depend on external heat sources and are unable to maintain body temperature in the same way as mammals and birds (endotherms).
In a warmer climate, the ability of ocellated lizard (Timon lepidus) populations to respond will not be uniform: some lizards, considered "generalists", show greater resilience and a higher capacity for mobility at high temperatures compared to "specialists", whose mobility stagnates at high temperatures and, as a result, are less adapted to take advantage of extreme warming scenarios.
