abstract: Basilisk lizards are often studied for their unique ability to run across the surface of water. Due to the complicated fluid dynamics of this process, the forces applied on the water’s surface cannot be measured using traditional methods. This thesis presents a novel technique of measuring the forces using a fluid dynamic force platform (FDFP), a light, rigid box immersed in water. This platform, along with a motion capture system, can be used to characterize the kinematics and dynamics of a basilisk lizard running on water. This could ultimately lead to robots that can run on water in a similar manner. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2019

The feeding habits and reproduction of Utastansburiana, Crotaphytus collaris and Cnemidophorus tigris during spring and summer 1976 are described. Feeding habits are expressed in percent total number and volume of prey items and frequency of occurrence of each prey category . Importance Values are also calculated. These values better i llustrate the feeding habits of the lizard species than either percent total number and volume and frequency of prey category occurrence. Lizards consume a variety of food items throughout the growing season. Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera and Arachnida are the major prey categories of Q. s t ansburiana . The major prey categories of C. collaris and C. tigris are Orthoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera and Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Arachnida, respectively. Dietary overlap between species and food species diversities (numbers and volume) are also used to illustrate the feeding habits. Reproduction is assessed by clutch size and frequency . Clutch size of Q. stansburiana , f· collaris and f· tigris is 2.99, 5.38 and 3.07, respectively. All species laid one clutch of eggs in 1976.

Area used by male and female Phrynosoma mcallii (Hallowell) was studied in a population locted on the Barry M. Goldwater Aerial Gunnery Range near Yuma, Arizona. Area used by males and females shifted through time and did not fit the definition of home range. Summer male and female area used was not significantly different (F=2.625, df=1, P=0.131), but male areas used were significantly larger for 15-day time periods (F=9.67, P=0.0003). Males overlapped the area they occupied in consecutive 15-day time periods more often than did females. Female area used never overlapped within a 15-day time period. Male area used overlapped those of other males and females within a 15-day time period.

This study arose from a conservation dilemma between the need to conserve a population of the endangered pink tailed legless lizard, Aprasia parapulchella and crucial upgrading of Canberra's sewerage treatment plant. The study focused on conservation biology and how it could be applied to the management of A. parapulchella. As little biological information was available on A. parapulchella, research was focused on obtaining data that would be beneficial in the conservation management of the species. This included the dietary and habitat requirements, population status and structure and population relocation and habitat restoration. A. parapulchella was found to occur in low relative densities at all sites (maximum 9.1 lizards per 1000 rocks turned, Mt Taylor). Populations of the species appear to be larger than has been considered previously, however numbers are still below 500 individuals per site. Sexual dimorphism is present in the species with females achieving longer snout-vent lengths than males. Sex ratios were equal in all sites, however average size of lizards was different at the four main study sites, indicating differences in population structure. The life history of A. parapulchella can be summarised as long-lived, late maturing (3rd or 4lh year of life) with a low reproductive rate (single clutch of two eggs per year). A. parapulchella is a dietary specialist feeding on about 11 different species of ants. Interestingly, the lizards also live with the same species that they feed upon. By far the most important species in the diet and homesite requirements of A. parapulchella is the ant Iridomyrmex rufoniger. A. parapulchella shows positive selection towards the species in homesite choice, is found most commonly in the nests of this ant, and selects its brood over the brood of other ant species in diet experiments. In addition this ant was represented in the diet of A. parapulchella more commonly than any other ant. The relationship between ants and A. parapulchella appears to be unique and the mechanisms of this specialisation require further investigation. The vegetation associations where A. parapulchella occur are different across the range of the species. Sites at Bendigo and West Wyalong support mallee communities, while in the ACT region, Bathurst and Tarcutta, A. parapulchella appears to be a habitat specialist, being found most commonly in sites dominated by grass species, both native and introduced. A. parapulchella lives beneath rocks in grassland sites. Rocks that the species uses for homesites are commonly between 100 and 150 mm wide, 120-220 mm long and 50 and 150 mm thick. There were significant differences between the sizes of rocks used at different sites and between different seasons. Rocks used by females were significantly larger than rocks used by juvenile lizards. Twelve other species of reptile were found to use rocks in grassland sites, with rocks partitioned within the community on the basis of size and shape. An experimental relocation of A. parapulchella was conducted to try to determine ideal habitat conditions for the survival of relocated individuals. Unfortunately of the 114 lizards released, only 15 were recaptured. Although recaptures were low, trends indicated that treatments of Themeda triandra and very high rock densities had the highest survival rates. Key habitat variables were reinstated at the Lower Molonglo Dam site however restoration is preliminary with more time needed for the habitat to be suitable for occupation by A. parapulchella. What started as a situation that was likely to have a deleterious impact on A. parapulchella has been turned into a conservation success story. Without the involvement of ACT Electricity and Water, much of the basic biology of A. parapulchella would still be unknown. The findings will now form a solid basis from which to effectively conserve A. parapulchella. The project provides an example of the conservation success that can be achieved between industry and conservation partnerships.

<p>The evolution of animal signals is driven largely by characteristics of the signaling environment and properties of receiver sensory systems. Selection favors signal traits that increase the probability that a signal will stimulate the sensory systems of intended receivers, but not potential predators, under average environmental conditions. However, environmental conditions often fluctuate, which means that a given signal property may not be equally effective at all times. One potential mechanism that an organism might employ to overcome this challenge is to modulate its signal properties as environmental conditions change in order to maintain stimulation of the receiver sensory system. In this dissertation, I explore the possible role of signal modulation using the motion detection and communication systems of tropical Anolis lizards. </p><p>In order to assess the possible role of signal modulation in the communication behavior of anoles, it was necessary to determine the properties of their motion detection systems. In Chapter 2, I tested whether motion detection properties are conserved across species of anole. I adapted a behavioral assay to quantify the spatial parameters of the motion detectors of three species of Puerto Rican Anolis lizards, with each preferring a distinct structural habitat type. I then compared the results to data previously collected for anoles from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Central America. Results indicated that all species share a minimum amplitude threshold for detecting moving objects and exhibit multiple peaks in relative response to various motion amplitudes. Fine-scale interspecific differences in the number and values of response peaks were not correlated with structural niche. Overall, the study suggests that the motion detection systems of Anolis lizards are relatively conserved, which may help explain shared features of movement-based signals in anoles.</p><p>For mobile organisms, the spatial relationships of signaling individuals and intended receivers can be fluid. Such fluctuation in the distance between signalers and receivers can greatly impact signal efficacy, but it is unclear exactly how animals cope with this problem. In Chapter 3, I investigated whether signal modulation can serve as an effective strategy to cope with variation in the spacing of receivers in the environment by tuning a signal to maintain stimulation of the receiver sensory system. I evaluated this hypothesis by testing the use of modulation in the tropical lizard Anolis gundlachi in Puerto Rico. I first characterized the motion detection properties of the sensory system of A. gundlachi in the laboratory. I then measured the physical properties of movement-based headbob displays given during staged social encounters under natural conditions. I found a significant positive association between the maximum amplitude of headbob displays and the physical distance to intended receivers. Modulation occurred in response to small-scale changes in signaler-receiver distance, and signalers gave displays that fell within a range of amplitudes predicted to optimally stimulate the visual system of A. gundlachi. These findings strongly suggest that modulation of the physical properties of motion-based signals can be an effective mechanism to tune signals to both characteristics of receiver sensory systems and receiver distance, and can serve as a behavioral strategy to cope with relatively frequent changes in the spacing of individuals. </p><p>Although signaling individuals must effectively capture and hold the attention of intended conspecific receivers, they must also limit eavesdropping by potential parasites or predators. However, predation pressure can vary over the course of an individual's lifetime, or over the course of a day, thereby altering signal efficacy. In Chapter 4, I tested the hypothesis that prey can modulate the physical properties of their signals or their display behavior in order to decrease conspicuousness and potentially limit predation risk. To do so, I conducted a manipulative experiment in nature to determine the effect of predation pressure on the properties of movement-based signals and the display rate of the semiarboreal lizard Anolis sagrei. I found that male anoles reduced the maximum amplitude of headbob displays but not the proportion of time spent signaling on islands onto which predators were introduced, in comparison to males from control islands lacking the predator. Characteristics of the motion detection system and social behavior of A. sagrei show that this reduction in amplitude also decreases signal active space, which might alter the reproductive success of signaling individuals. I suggest that future studies of predator-prey interactions consider the risk effects generated by changes in signals or signaling behavior to fully determine the influence of predation pressure on the dynamics of prey populations.</p> / Dissertation

Orientador: Robson Waldemar Ávila / Resumo: A Caatinga é um ecossistema a ser investigado, pois apresenta distintos ambientes e uma fauna endêmica de lagartos. Ameivula pyrrhogularis é um teídeo encontrado no Nordeste, na zona de transição entre Caatinga, Cerrado e floresta estacional decidual e, até o presente momento, nenhum estudo parasitológico foi conduzido para esta espécie. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo registrar o parasitismo em A. pyrrhogularis procedentes de quatro áreas do Ceará. É apresentado um inventário das espécies de helmintos, o qual foi constituído de nove taxa: Oochoristica travassosi (Cestoda), cistacantos (Acanthocephala), larvas de nematoide não identificadas, Cruzia sp., Oswaldofilaria sp., Physaloptera sp. e espécimes adultos de Parapharyngodon sp., Pharyngodon cesarpintoi e Physalopteroides venancioi (Nematoda). Para estes parasitas, foram verificados os parâmetros de infecção, trazendo a informação dos hospedeiros em que estas espécies já foram registradas. Foi observado que fatores biológicos (ontogenia, tamanho e sexo) do hospedeiro não influenciaram a abundância parasitária, mas significativas diferenças foram constadas de acordo com as estações e localidade analisadas, sendo que as maiores abundâncias de parasitas foram registradas em período de estiagem e em área conservada, indicando que os helmintos podem ser favorecidos em seus ciclos biológicos pela condição ambiental. Foi caracterizada a dieta de A. pyrrhogularis e demonstrado que a mesma sofre influencia espacial, o que re... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The Caatinga is a Brazilian ecosystem still to be investigated due to its different environments and an endemic fauna of lizards. Ameivula pyrrhogularis belongs to the Teiidae and is found in the Northeast of Brazil, in the transition area between Caatinga, Cerrado, and temporary deciduous forest. To date, any parasitological study has been performed for this species. This research aimed to record the parasitism in A. pyrrhogularis from four areas of Ceará State, Brazil. An inventory of the helminth species is presented, which was composed by nine taxa: Oochoristica travassosi (Cestoda), cystacanths (Acanthocephala), larvae of unidentified nematode, Cruzia sp., Oswaldofilaria sp., Physaloptera sp., and adult specimens of Parapharyngodon sp., Pharyngodon cesarpintoi, and Physalopteroides venancioi (Nematoda). Infection parameters were verified for these parasites, bringing information on the hosts in which these species have already been registered. It was observed that biological factors (ontogeny, size, and sex) of the hosts did not influence the parasite abundance, but significant differences were recorded according to stations and locations, with the greatest parasite abundance reported in the dry season, indicating that the helminths can be favored in their biological cycles by environmental conditions. The diet of A. pyrrhogularis was characterized and showed that it is spatially influenced, which reflects the availability of prey. Moreover, it is suggested that food ite... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

abstract: Non-native saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) has invaded many riparian communities and is the third most abundant tree in Southwestern riparian areas. I evaluated lizard populations and microhabitat selection during 2009 and 2010 along the Virgin River in Nevada and Arizona to determine the impact of saltcedar. Along the riparian corridor, I observed common side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) within two vegetation types: monotypic non-native saltcedar stands or mixed stands of cottonwood (Populus fremontii), willow (Salix spp.), mesquite (Prosopis spp.) and saltcedar. I predicted that population parameters such as body condition, adult to hatchling ratio, abundance, and persistence would vary among vegetation types. Also, I predicted the presence of saltcedar influences how lizards utilize available habitat. Lizard population parameters were obtained from a mark-recapture study in which I captured 233 individual lizards. I examined habitat selection and habitat availability using visual encounter surveys (VES) for lizards and recorded 11 microhabitat variables where 16 lizards were found. I found no significant difference in population parameters between mixed and non-native saltcedar communities. However, population parameters were negatively correlated with canopy cover. I found that lizards selected habitat with low understory and canopy cover regardless of vegetation type. My results indicate that lizards utilize similar structural characteristics in both mixed and non-native vegetation. Understanding impacts of saltcedar on native fauna is important for managers who are tasked with control and management of this non-native species. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Applied Biological Sciences 2011

Submitted by Mario BC (mario@bc.ufrpe.br) on 2016-08-11T12:05:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Sergio Luiz da Silva Muniz.pdf: 4037142 bytes, checksum: 4aa632d566202bdc0721109594a4f696 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-11T12:05:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sergio Luiz da Silva Muniz.pdf: 4037142 bytes, checksum: 4aa632d566202bdc0721109594a4f696 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-29 / Of all Squamata diversity, lizards represent more than half of described species in present. These animals serve as models for ecological and evolutionary studies, which makes them target of interest in scientific research in whole world. Caatinga is a major biome in Northeast of Brazil, occupying about 6.83% of the national territory and extending for several states of this region. It is a unique biome, and despite being located on a semi-arid climate, has a great variety of landscapes, biological richness and endemism. Reptile’s studies of diversity, composition and ecology in Caatinga are relatively recent, these research are extremely important and valuable to semiarid. But this information is punctual and does not represent Northeast biodiversity, requiring more effort in different localities, especially in rainforest areas of biome. This study aims to investigate lizard’s abundance, richness, diversity, spatial distribution and width/niche overlap in the Environmental Protection Area of Araripe. To achieve this goal, we sampled three different vegetation types (shrubby Caatinga, Cerradão and secondary Forest) APA of Chapada Araripe. The data collections were made monthly by active and passive collecting, during the twelve-month period (August/2011 to July/2012). The active collection was made one day for each area per month and lasting for six hours a day, three hours in the morning (8h to 11h), and three hours at night (18 to 21h). The passive collections were made using 60 pitfall traps with drift-fences, these were organized into twelve lines with five buckets at 5m of distance between them, and the lines were equally distributed at three vegetation types. Buckets were open for five days during each month. As a result, we found 20 lizard species belonging to 12 families. Richness and abundance varied among the three areas sampled. Caatinga had the highest number of species (n = 14) and Cerradão had de highest abundance (n = 99). Ameiva ameiva was the most abundant lizard from caatinga, while in Cerradão was Colobosaura modesta and for secondary forest was Norops brasiliensis. Lizards presents significant difference respect to the seasons (wet and dry), in the dry season the lizards were more abundant. Analyses based on null models indicate no significant values on the overlap of microhabitat use, showing that competition for space is not regulating this community structure, being regulated by other factors. / De toda diversidade da ordem Squamata, os lagartos representam um pouco mais que a metade das espécies descritas na atualidade. Esses animais são organismos modelos para estudos ecológico-evolutivos, o que faz com que sejam alvo de interesse de pesquisas científicas em vários lugares do mundo. A Caatinga é um dos principais biomas da região Nordeste do Brasil, ocupa cerca de 6,83% do território nacional e estende-se por vários estados dessa região. É um bioma único, e apesar de estar localizado em área de clima semiárido, apresenta grande variedade de paisagens, relativa riqueza biológica e endemismos. Estudos acerca da diversidade, composição e ecologia dos répteis da Caatinga são relativamente recentes, esses trabalhos são extremamente importantes e de grande valor para entendere e preservar o semiárido. Porém essas informações são pontuais e não representam ainda a biodiversidade da região Nordeste, necessitando de mais esforços em diferentes localidades, principalmente em áreas de floresta úmida inseridas nesse bioma. Este trabalho objetiva investigar a abundância, riqueza, diversidade, distribuição espacial e largura/sobreposição de nicho dos lagartos da Área de Proteção Ambiental da Chapada do Araripe. Para alcançar esse objetivo, foram amostradas três diferentes fitofisionomias (Caatinga arbustiva, Mata de encosta e Cerradão) da APA da Chapada do Araripe. As coletas de dados foram feitas através de coletas ativas e passivas realizadas mensalmente durante o período de doze meses (Agosto/2011 a Julho/2012). A coleta ativa foi realizada durante um dia para cada área por campanha e com duração de seis horas diárias, sendo três horas no período matutino (8 às 11h), e três horas no período noturno (18 às 21h). As coletas passivas foram realizadas através de 60 baldes distribuídos nas armadilhas de contenção e queda (pitfall), com cercas guias (drift-fences), estas foram organizadas em doze linhas de cinco baldes, com 5m de distância entre os mesmos, e as linhas foram distribuídas igualmente nas três fitofisionomias estudadas, onde os baldes permaneceram abertos por cinco dias durante cada campanha. Como resultado, foi registrado 20 espécies de lagartos, pertencentes a 12 famílias. A riqueza e abundância variaram entre as três áreas amostradas. A área de caatinga foi a que obteve o maior número de espécies (n= 14) e a área de cerradão foi a mais abundante (n= 99). O lagarto mais abundante na área de caatinga foi Ameiva ameiva, na área do cerradão Colobosaura modesta e para a área da Mata secundária Norops brasiliensis. Houve diferença significativa entre as estações (chuvosa e seca), na estação seca os lagartos foram mais abundantes. As análises baseadas em modelos nulos indicam valores não significativos sobre a sobreposição do uso do microhábitat, evidenciando que a competição por espaço não está regulando a estrutura das comunidades estudadas, sendo ela regulada por outros fatores.

Embora os escamados sejam comumente encontrados em sítios fossilíferos cenozóicos sul&minus;americanos, materiais esqueléticos completos são raros. Apenas alguns poucos exemplares assim foram registrados, com a maioria dos achados representando materiais fragmentários de crânio e mandíbulas ou vértebras isoladas. Dentre as localidades provedoras de vertebrados fósseis na América do Sul, a Formação Chichínales se destaca pela recente descoberta, em seus sedimentos, de um crânio quase completo de um lagarto teiídeo previamente desconhecido. Dada a fauna associada, a idade da formação é definida como Mioceno Temprano (Colhuehuapense). No presente estudo, conclui&minus;se, através de uma análise filogenética contendo 39 espécies viventes e fósseis de escamados e 149 caracteres osteológicos, que este material pertence a uma nova espécie do gênero contemporâneo Callopistes. Uma descrição morfológica detalhada do fóssil, obtida através de análises estereoscópicas e de microtomografia computadorizada de alta resolução (CT Scan), também é apresentada. A matriz morfológica foi analisada com o auxílio do software TNT Versão 1.1, seguindo o princípio de máxima parcimônia, com todos os caracteres tratados com a mesma pesagem, resultando em quatro árvores igualmente parcimoniosas, que foram então utilizadas para a construção de uma árvore de consenso estrito. Em todas as quatro árvores, o novo táxon posicionou&minus;se dentro da família Teiidae como um membro do clado formado pelas demais espécies viventes de Callopistes. Entretanto, não foi possível estabelecer uma relação de grupo&minus;irmão inequívoca entre as duas espécies de Callopistes presentes na análise e o fóssil. A atual distribuição das duas espécies viventes de Callopistes e a localidade de onde foi recuperado o fóssil em estudo indicam que esse gênero possuía uma distribuição muito mais ampla no passado, chegando a áreas patagônicas cis&minus;Andinas, diferentemente das áreas trans&minus;Andinas de altitude onde as duas espécies atuais estão restritas / Although squamates are commonly found in most Caenozoic south american fossil beds, complete skeletal materials are rare. Only a few examples exist, with most findings representing fragmentary cranial or jaw materials or isolated vertebrae. Among the known South American vertebrate fossil localities, the Chichínales formation rendered recently a mostly complete skull of a previously unknown teiid lizard. Given the associated fauna, the age of the formation is defined as Early Miocene (Colhuehuapense). Here, I show that this fossil represents a new species of the extant genus Callopistes through a phylogenetic analysis of extant and extinct squamates that includes 39 taxa and 149 osteological characters. I also provide a detailed description of the new fossil teiid based on both stereoscopical and high-resolution X&minus;ray computed tomography (CT Scan) analyses. The data matrix was analyzed performing a equally weighted parsimony analysis using the software TNT Version 1.1 that resulted in four equally most parsimonius trees, which were then used to built a strict consensus tree. In all four trees, the fossil lizard was recovered within the Callopistes lineage, nested inside the family Teiidae. Nevertheless, I was unable to establish which of the two Callopistes species present in the analysis were more closely related to the fossil. The present distribution of the two extant species of Callopistes and the locality from where the fossil was recovered indicate that this genus had a much broader distribution in the past, reaching cis&minus;Andean areas of Patagonia, apart from the trans&minus;Andean areas where the two extant species are restricted

The fossorial Florida Sand Skink (Plestiodon [=Neoseps] reynoldsi) inhabits a restricted range of scrub and sandhill fragments on the ridges of central Florida. The high rate of urban and agricultural development in this area necessitates conservation strategies other than land acquisition and management because of the limited remaining Florida Sand Skink habitat available. This study tests the viability of translocation as a conservation strategy for this species and assesses which features of a recipient site contribute to the successful establishment of a population. In 2007, 300 individuals were collected and moved from an intact scrub habitat, individually marked, and moved to a nearby reclaimed site with no existing Florida Sand Skink population. Fifteen 20 m² enclosures were constructed at the recipient site, and 20 skinks were randomly assigned to each. These enclosures were divided among five treatments, which were represented the range of habitat types at the donor site and differed in the presence or absence of a shade-providing object and coarse woody debris. Translocated skinks were monitored for two years to measure survival and reproduction. While survival and reproduction were apparent in all treatments, survival was significantly greater in enclosures with no shade-providing object and low soil moisture, and reproduction was most evident in enclosures with less light intensity and soil compaction. Common measurement of environmental variables at the donor and recipient sites showed that all of the recipient site enclosures differed from the donor site in the amount of vegetative cover but contained the structural heterogeneity that is associated with Florida Sand Skink presence in the wild. This study indicates that translocation is a practical conservation strategy for this species, and my results can be used to inform protocol for future Florida Sand Skink translocation efforts.