ABSTRACT – The use of Artificial Cover Objects (ACOs) for inventorying and monitoring of reptile diversity has become increasingly common, though few studies have investigated how occurrence and sampling success (encounters per ACO per day) varies with environmental factors when using ACOs. This study is based on data from Sandsjöbacka ecoduct and its surroundings in southwestern Sweden, where there is an ongoing monitoring program. Sixty-five plywood coverboards the first year and 15 more the next year were placed in a system of points along transects and checked 22 times (1595 shelter checks) between the year 2017 and 2018. These counts were combined with vegetation analyses and complemented with data of ambient temperature from SMHI, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute. A total of 129 reptiles belonging to six species was found: grass snake (Natrix natrix), smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), sand lizard (Lacerta agilis), viviparous lizard (Zootoca vivipara), slowworm (Anguis fragilis) and adder (Vipera berus). There was no correlation between temperature and sampling success. DFA revealed a significant discrimination between ACOs with and without reptiles, and two of eight vegetation variables, proportion of shrubs and proportion of bare ground, were best at separating the two groups. Bare ground tended to have a negative effect on reptile occurrence, while the tendency for shrubs was the opposite. Most observations (81% of all reptiles) and encounter rates (0.065 counts per ACO per day versus 0.081 totally) were associated with slow worm (European glass lizard), and therefore the data mainly reflect activity of this species. / SAMMANFATTNING – Användandet av Artificial Cover Objects (ACOs) för att inventera och övervaka bestånd av kräldjur har blivit allt vanligare, men få studier har undersökt hur förekomst och stickprovsframgång (observationer per ACO per dag) varierar beroende av biotiska och abiotiska faktorer vid användandet av ACOs. Jag fick tillgång till data från ett pågående miljöuppföljningsprogram vid och i närområden kring Sandsjöbacka ekodukt i Västra Götalands län där ACOs användes. Sextiofem inventeringsplattor av plywood första året följt av ytterligare 15 plattor nästkommande år lades ut i ett system av punkter i linjetransekter där kontroller av kräldjursförekomst skedde systematiskt under 22 inventeringstillfällen fördelade på år 2017 och 2018 (1595 kontroller av ACO) i kombination med vegetationsanalyser. Data från programmet har kompletterats med lufttemperaturdata från SMHI. 129 individer av sex arter observerades; snok (Natrix natrix), hasselsnok (Coronella austriaca), sandödla (Lacerta agilis), skogsödla (Zootoca vivipara), kopparödla (Anguis fragilis) och huggorm (Vipera berus). Det fanns inget signifikant samband mellan lufttemperatur och stickprovsframgång. DFA visade på en signifikant diskriminering mellan ACOs med och utan kräldjur, och två av åtta vegetationsvariabler, andel buskar och ris samt andel barmark, diskriminerades mest. Barmark tenderade ha en negativ effekt på förekomst av kräldjur, medan tendensen för buskar och ris var den motsatta. Klart högst förekomst (81% av totala antalet kräldjur) och stickprovsframgång (0,065 observationer per platta per dag mot 0,081 sammantaget) stod kopparödla för, och därför speglar data först och främst aktivitet hos denna art.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:36:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PabloAGS.pdf: 2059832 bytes, checksum: 8f5ad8bf243bff28547c0104bc0b6e7c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-18 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / As part of a broader project, Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Floristic and Faunistic composition of remnants of Potiguar s Atlantic Forest, as subsidies to conservation , that subsidizes a group of institutional research, This study aimed to evaluate the structure of the assemblage of lizards a remnant of the of the northern Atlantic Forest, identifying ecological factor (s) that contribute to the coexistence of sympatric species. Additionally, we studied the thermal ecology and thermoregulatory behavior of umbrophily and heliophily species live the Parque Estadual Mata da Pipa (PEMP), a remnant of Atlantic forest located in the Tibau do Sul municipality of, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. It is one of the largest remnants of the Atlantic Forest and has an area of approximately 290 ha. The study was performed by four excursions to the field for 20 days each, when active search and pitfalls traps were used to record and colleted specimens in different habitats of the area. We recorded the presence of 19 species of lizards, of which seven are typical of forest areas, three are endemic Atlantic Forest, these two northern and one are new record for the Rio Grande do Norte. The use of resources, the results showed that phylogenetically related species do not always use a similar way the resources available; the feeding niche was the segregated component of the species that overlapped extensively in the use of space and vice versa. To examine the thermal ecology and thermoregulatory behavior of Kentropyx calcarata and Coleodactylus natalensis, we recorded the clocal temperature (Tc), oh the substrate (Ts) and of the air (Ta) to investigate what of these are the source of heat more important to the temperature s body of these lizards. Behavioral observations were conducted to analyze strategies to optimize the acquisition of heat. The air temperature explained most strongly to variation in body temperature of K. calcarata, while the temperature of the substrate to C. natalensis. As for the behavioral observations, they confirmed that K. calcarata is an active thermoregulatory; C. natalensis is a passive thermoregulatory. / Como parte de um Projeto mais amplo, Diversidade e Padr?es de Distribui??o da Composi??o Flor?stica e Faun?stica de remanescentes da Mata Atl?ntica potiguar, como subs?dios ? Conserva??o , que subsidia um grupo de pesquisa institucional, este estudo objetivou avaliar a estrutura da assembl?ia de lagartos de um remanescente de Mata Atl?ntica setentrional, identificando fator (es) ecol?gicos que contribuem para a coexist?ncia das esp?cies simp?tricas. Adcionalmente, foram estudados a ecologia termal e o comportamento de termorregula??o de esp?cies umbr?filas e heli?filas habitantes do Parque Estadual Mata da Pipa (PEMP), um remanescente de Mata Atl?ntica localizado no munic?pio de Tibau do Sul, Estado do Rio Grando do Norte, Brasil. ? um dos maiores remanescente de Mata Atl?ntica do Estado e possui uma ?rea de aproximadamente 290 ha. O trabalho foi efetuado por meio de quatro excurs?es ? campo, com dura??o de 20 dias cada, quando buscas ativas e armadilhas de queda foram utilizadas para registrar e coletar os esp?cimes nos diversos h?bitats da ?rea. Registraram-se 19 esp?cies de lagartos, das quais sete s?o de ?reas florestadas, tr?s end?micas de Mata Atl?ntica duas destas setentrionais e uma ? um novo registro para o Rio Grande do Norte. Quanto ? utiliza??o dos recursos, as esp?cies filogeneticamente pr?ximas nem sempre utilizaram de maneira semelhante os recursos dispon?veis; o nicho alimentar foi o componente segregativo das esp?cies que se sobrepuseram amplamente no uso do espa?o e vice-versa. Para analisar a ecologia t?rmica e o comportamento termoregulat?rio de Kentropyx calcarata e Coleodactylus natalensis registrou-se a temperatura cloacal (Tc), a do substrato (Ts) e a do ar (Ta) para averiguar qual (is) destas constitui a fonte de calor mais importante para a regula??o de temperatura corp?rea desses lagartos. Observa??es comportamentais foram efetuadas para analisar estrat?gias para otimizar a obten??o de calor. A temperatura do ar explicou mais fortemente a varia??o na temperatura corporal de K. calcarata, enquanto a temperatura do substrato a de C. natalensis. Quanto ?s observa??es comportamentais, foi confirmado para K. calcarata que este ? um termorregulador heli?filo ativo; C. natalensis ? umbr?filo ou termorregulador passivo.

Lagartos teiú eclodem no verão e enfrentam o desafio de crescer e armazenar substratos em um curto período de tempo, antes do início do período de jejum e depressão metabólica (≈80%) a temperaturas amenas durante o inverno (≈17 °C). No despertar, o aumento do metabolismo e a reperfusão de órgãos favoreceriam a ocorrência de estresse oxidativo. Na primeira parte do presente estudo investigou−se os ajustes que compatibilizam as demandas em teiús neonatos, especialmente na pré-hibernação, por meio da gravação do comportamento em vídeo e da análise da massa dos corpos gordurosos abdominais e do nível plasmático de corticosterona (CORT) durante o primeiro ciclo anual. No início do outono a massa corpórea dos teiús foi 27 g e o comprimento rostro−cloacal 9,3 cm e aumentaram 40% e 20%, respectivamente, ao longo do outono, enquanto que as taxas diminuíram progressivamente até atingirem o valor zero no início do inverno. Na primavera, a massa corpórea dos teiús aumentou 80% em relação ao despertar e dobrou em relação ao final do verão; o comprimento acumulou um aumento de 27% em relação ao final do verão. A massa relativa dos corpos gordurosos foi 3,7% no início do outono e diminuiu nos meses subsequentes; no despertar, este estoque acumulou uma perda de 63% da sua massa. No início do outono 74% dos teiús estavam ativos por 4,7 h e permaneceram 2 h assoalhando diariamente; ao longo do outono o número de animais ativos e o tempo em atividade diminuíram até que todos se tornaram inativos. Na primavera 83% dos teiús estavam ativos por 7 h e permaneceram 4 h assoalhando. Um padrão sazonal similar foi observado na atividade locomotora e na alimentação. No outono, a alimentação cessou antes da atividade diária e os teiús tornaram−se afágicos algumas semanas antes da entrada em hibernação. Os maiores níveis de CORT foram observados no início do outono, reduzindo progressivamente até valores 75 e 86% menores na dormência e despertar, respectivamente; na primavera os níveis de CORT foram 32% menores em comparação com o início do outono. Este padrão sugere um papel da CORT nos ajustes que promovem a ingestão de alimento e a deposição de substratos energéticos no outono. A redução da atividade geral no final do outono contribuiria para a economia energética e manutenção da massa corpórea, apesar da redução da ingestão de alimento. O curso temporal das alterações fisiológicas e comportamentais em neonatos reforça a ideia de que a dormência sazonal nos teiús é o resultado da expressão de um ritmo endógeno. Na segunda parte do estudo foi investigada a hipótese de que ocorreriam ajustes das defesas antioxidantes durante a hibernação, em antecipação ao despertar. Foram analisados marcadores de estresse oxidativo e antioxidantes em vários órgãos de teiús em diferentes fases do primeiro ciclo anual. A CS, um indicador do potencial oxidante, não variou no fígado e foi menor no rim e no pulmão na hibernação. As enzimas antioxidantes revelaram (1) um efeito abrangente de redução das taxas na hibernação e despertar; por exemplo, GR e CAT foram menores em todos órgãos analisados e a GST tendeu a diminuir no fígado e no rim, embora constante no coração e no pulmão. A G6PDH no fígado e no rim não variou. (2) No fígado, a GST, a Se−GPX e o teor de TBARS foram maiores na atividade de outono em relação à primavera e a Se−GPX permaneceu elevada na hibernação. (3) No fígado, a SOD foi maior na hibernação e despertar em relação ao outono e a Mn−SOD seguiu este padrão. Em contraste, no rim, coração e pulmão a SOD foi menor na hibernação e as taxas se recuperaram no coração e pulmão no despertar. A Mn−SOD seguiu este padrão no pulmão. A concentração e o estado redox da glutationa não variaram no fígado, rim e coração; no pulmão o teor de Eq−GSH e GSH foi menor na hibernação, com tendência à recuperação no despertar. O teor de PC no rim foi maior na hibernação e diminuiu no despertar. No fígado, as alterações no jejum se assemelham às sazonais, como sugerem a inibição da CAT e GR e aumento da Se−GPX. Os efeitos do jejum na primavera no rim diferem dos efeitos sazonais, como sugerem a redução do teor de Eq−GSH e GSH e o aumento da razão GSSG:GSH, a redução da G6PDH e o aumento de PC. No conjunto, houve um efeito predominante de redução das taxas enzimáticas na hibernação e no despertar, exceto pelas taxas aumentadas da SOD e Se−GPX no fígado e pela recuperação da SOD no coração e da GR, SOD e Mn−SOD no pulmão no despertar. As elevadas taxas das enzimas antioxidantes no teiú em comparação a outros ectotermos e a ausência de evidências de estresse oxidativo no despertar sugerem que a atividade enzimática remanescente é suficiente para prevenir danos aos tecidos face às flutuações do metabolismo / The tegu lizards hatch during the summer, when they face the challenge of growing and storing substrates during a short time before going into fasting and metabolic depression (≈80% at 17 °C) during winter. The reactivation of metabolism and of blood perfusion during arousal could favor the occurrence of oxidative stress in the tissues. The first part of his study investigated adjustments which potentially conciliate energy demands in neonatal tegus, particularly during pre-hibernation, by video recording of animal behavior and by measuring the mass of fat bodies and levels of plasma corticosterone (CORT) during the annual cycle. In the early autumn the body mass of the tegu was 27 g and the rostro−cloacal length was 9.3 cm, which increased 40% and 20%, respectively, while the rates decreased progressively until reach zero in winter. In spring activity body mass increased 80% in relation to values during arousal and duplicated in relation to late summer. The fat bodies mass relative to body mass was 3.7% in early autumn, and decreased during the subsequent months accumulating a mass loss of 63% during arousal. In early autumn, 74% of the tegus were active for 4.7 h and they basked for 2 h daily; during the autumn the number of animals and the time spent in activity decreased until they become totally inactive. In spring 83% of the tegus were active for 7 h and they basked for 4 h daily. Similar seasonal pattern was observed in the locomotory and feeding activities. In the autumn, feeding was interrupted prior to the interruption of daily activity and the tegus were aphagic a few weeks before the entry into hibernation. The CORT level was the highest in early autumn and reduced progressively to 75% and 86% during winter and arousal in early spring, respectively; later during spring the levels were 32% lower than the autumn levels. These changes suggest a role of CORT in the adjustments which promote food intake and substrate storage during the autumn. Despite a reduced food intake, the widespread decrease of daily activities in late autumn would contribute to energy saving and body mass maintenance. The time course of physiological and behavioral changes in neonates reinforces the idea of an endogenous rhythm underlying seasonal dormancy in the tegu. The second part of this study investigated the hypothesis of adjustments in antioxidant system preparatory to the moment of arousal by the analysis of markers of oxidative stress and of antioxidants in several organs of neonatal tegus, during different phases of the annual cycle and during starvation in the spring. The Vmax of CS, an indicator of the oxidative potential, did not vary in the liver and was smaller in the kidney and lung of dormant tegus. The antioxidant enzymes revealed (1) a widespread effect of lowering rates during dormancy and arousal; for instance, GR and CAT were lower in all organs examined and GST had a tendency to be lower in the liver and in the kidney tissues, although it was constant in the heart and in the lung. (2) In the liver, GST and Se-GPX, and the levels of TBARs were higher in the autumn than in the spring activity. (3) In the liver, SOD was higher during dormancy and arousal in relation to the autumn, and Mn−SOD followed this pattern. Contrastingly, SOD in the kidney, heart and lung was lower during dormancy, and rates recovered in the heart and lung during arousal before food intake. The Mn-SOD followed this pattern in the lung. The glutathione concentration and the redox balance did not change in the liver, kidney and heart; in the lung, the levels of Eq−GSH and GSH were lower and had a tendency to increase during arousal. Importantly, carbonyl proteins were increased in the kidney during dormancy and recovered during arousal. The effects of starvation during spring differed of those of fasting during winter in the kidney, as shown by the lower Eq−GSH levels and increased GSSG:GSH ratio, the lower G6PDH, and the increased carbonyl proteins. In the liver, changes during starvation followed seasonal patterns, as shown by increased Se-GPX, and decreased CAT and GR, together indicating a consistent effect exerted by interruption of food intake. The high rates of antioxidant enzymes in neonatal tegus compared with other ectotherms, and the absence of evidence of oxidative stress at arousal suggest that remaining enzyme activities are sufficient to prevent tissue damage that could be caused by the metabolic fluctuations during the annual cycle in the tegu

A critical mechanism underpinning current biological diversity is the extent to which one species mates with, or avoids mating with, another. However, little is known about the factors that mediate hybridisation, especially during the initial and rarely observed stages of secondary contact when interspecific interactions have not responded to selection. In particular, whilst hybridisation is ultimately a behavioural phenomenon, the role of behaviour in mediating hybridisation and how it is influenced by environmental and circumstantial factors is rarely investigated. Recently introduced species provide us with unequalled opportunities to study these factors. In this thesis I examine the role of behavioural mechanisms, in particular male-male competition and mate choice, in mediating mating patterns between two genetically and phenotypically distinct lineages of European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) that have come into recent secondary contact through human introductions. In Chapter Two, I investigated how sexual selection during allopatry is responsible for creating stark differences in phenotypic traits such as body size and weapon performance evident in the two lineages today, ultimately explaining the strong biases in dominance during territorial disputes between males. However, I also show that even given this asymmetry in male competitive ability, the extent to which it extrapolates into greater access to females in naturalistic, outdoor enclosures depends strongly on the spatial clustering of basking sites, a critically important resource for many ectotherms. In contrast to initial predictions suggested by asymmetries in male competition outlined in the previous chapter, in Chapter Three I show that both paternity and courtship behaviour was strongly assortative in the outdoor enclosures. Further investigation through staged experiments on olfactory mate choice, mating trials and analyses on specific behavioural data obtained in an enclosure experiment, I show that lineage based dominance actually contributes to assortative mating patterns in conjunction with weak conspecific male choice. In contrast, female choice seems to play no role in mediating the mating patterns observed between the two lineages. In Chapter Four I had the rare opportunity to examine the morphological and behavioural factors that predict why animals should hybridise in the first place, using the data obtained in the enclosure experiment above. I found that hybridisation was particularly common between small individuals of the larger lineage and large individuals of the smaller lineage; a result that corroborates the mechanisms determining the assortative patterns uncovered in Chapter Three. Additionally, hybridisation rates were particularly high in less dominant individuals, which I suggest is due to subordinate males having reduced opportunities for courting conspecific females due to male-male competition, requiring them to become less ‘choosy’ and therefore more likely to mate with heterospecifics. Finally, secondary contact cannot occur without at least one lineage coming into a new environment, and yet relatively little attention is paid to how this environmental change can affect the signals involved in intraspecific communication and mate choice. In Chapter Five I show that a change in the amount of time male lizards spend thermoregulating (a likely consequence of arriving in a new environment) significantly changes the chemical composition of their scent marks. However, whilst female lizards were able to detect these effects, they did not seem to base their mating decisions on them. Nevertheless, this result raises interesting questions about the potential function and consequences of this plasticity, and highlights the importance of considering plasticity in chemical communication in heterogeneous environments. Overall, this thesis shows the critically important role of behaviour in mediating intra- and interspecific mating patterns during recent secondary contact. In particular, it highlights how the direction and extent of hybridisation and competition are influenced by the degree to which differing morphological and behavioural phenotypes interact over a heterogeneous environment, particularly during the initial stage of secondary contact when mate choice has not had the chance to respond to the selective pressures of hybridisation.

No description available.

Accurate measurement brain region volumes are important in studying brain plasticity, which brings insight into the fundamental mechanisms in animal, memory, cognitive, and behavior research. The traditional methods of brain volume measurements are ellipsoid or histology. In this study, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) method was used to achieve more accurate results. However, manual segmentation of micro-CT images is time consuming, hard to reprodu-ce, and has the risk of human error. Automatic image segmentation is a faster method for obtaining the segmentations and has the potential to provide eciency, reliability, repeatability, and scalability. Different methods are tested and compared in this thesis. In this project, 29 micro-CT scans of lizard heads were used and measurements of the volumes of 6 dierent brain regions was of interest. The lizard heads were semi-manually segmented into 6 regions and three open-source segmentation algorithms were compared, one atlas-based algorithm and two deep-learning-based algorithms. Dierent number of training data were quantitatively compared for deep-learning methods from all three orientations (sagittal, horizontal and coronal). Data augmentation was tested and compared, as well. The comparison shows that the deep-learning algorithms provided more accurate results than the atlas-based algorithm. The results also demonstrated that in the sagittal plane, 5 manually segmented images for training are enough to provide resulting predictions with high accuracy (dice score 0.948). Image augmentation was shown to improve the accuracy of the segmentations but a unique dataset still plays an important role. In conclusion, the results show that the manual segmentation work can be reduced drastically by using deep learning for image segmentation. / Noggrann mätning av hjärnregionsvolymer är viktigt för att studera hjärnans plasticitet, vilket ger insikt i de grundläggande mekanismerna inom djurstudier, minnes-, kognitions- och beteendeforskning. De traditionella metoderna för mätning av hjärnvolym är ellipsoid modellen eller histologi. I den här studien användes mikrodatortomografi (mikro-CT) metoden för att få mer korrekta resultat. Manuell segmentering av mikro-CT-bilder är dock tidskrävande, svår att reproducera och har en risk för mänskliga fel. Automatisk bildsegmentering är en snabb metod för att erhålla segmenteringarna. Den har potentialen att ge eektivitet, tillförlitlighet, repeterbarhet och skalbarhet. Därför testas och jämförs tre metoder för automatisk segmentering i denna studie. I projektet användes 29 mikro-CT-bilder av ödlehuvuden för att få fram volymerna hos 6 olika hjärnregioner. Ödlehuvudena segmenterades halvmanu- ellt i 6 regioner och tre segmenteringsalgoritmer med öppen källkod jämfördes (en atlasbaserad algoritm och två djupinlärningsbaserade algoritmer). Olika antal träningsdata jämfördes kvantitativt för djupinlärningsmetoder i alla tre plan (sagittal, horisontell och frontal). Även datautökning testades och analyserades. Jämförelsen visar att djupinlärningsalgoritmerna gav mer signifikanta resultat än den atlasbaserade algoritmen. Resultaten visade även att i det sagittala planet räcker det med 5 manuellt segmenterade bilder för träning för att ge segmenteringar med hög noggrannhet (dice värde 0,948). Datautökningen har visat sig förbättra segmenteringarnas noggrannhet, men ett unikt dataset spelar fortfarande en viktig roll. Sammanfattningsvis visar resultaten att det manuella segmenteringsarbetet kan minskas drastiskt genom att använda djupinlärning för bildsegmentering.

La cyclooxygénase (COX) 1 augmente significativement dans la peau inflammée des Ophidiens et dans les muscles inflammés des Chéloniens. Les inhibiteurs non sélectifs de la COX-1 et de la COX-2, comme le kétoprofène, pourraient donc réduire l’inflammation plus efficacement chez les reptiles que les inhibiteurs préférentiels de la COX-2. L’objectif de cette étude était d’évaluer les effets adverses potentiels du kétoprofène chez le dragon barbu (Pogona vitticeps). Treize dragons barbus ont été répartis aléatoirement dans trois groupes lors d’une étude prospective, randomisée, contrôlée et en aveugle. Ils ont reçu une administration intramusculaire quotidienne d’un traitement durant 14 jours. Le groupe 1 (n = 5) a reçu de la saline, le groupe 2 (n = 4) a reçu 2 mg/kg de kétoprofène (dilué 1:10 avec de la saline) et le groupe 3 (n = 4) a reçu 20 mg/kg de kétoprofène (non dilué). Des paramètres biochimiques, des tests de sang occulte fécal et le temps de coagulation sanguine ont été évalués avant et après les deux semaines de traitements. Une évaluation histopathologique des reins, du système digestif, du foie et des muscles a été effectuée. Cliniquement, une réaction aux sites d’injections a été détectée dans le groupe 3. Il n’y avait pas de différences dans les valeurs biochimiques et les temps de coagulation avant et après les traitements, ni entre les groupes. Aucune lésion n’a été détectée à l’évaluation histologique des reins, du foie et du tractus gastro-intestinal. Des lésions histopathologiques de nécrose musculaire aux sites d’injections ont été notées dans tous les groupes et elles étaient statistiquement plus sévères dans le groupe 3 que dans le groupe 1. En conclusion, l’administration intramusculaire quotidienne de 2 mg/kg de kétoprofène dilué durant 14 jours n’a pas causé d’effets adverses chez ce petit nombre de dragons barbus, tandis que de la nécrose musculaire sévère a été détectée suite à l’administration de 20 mg/kg de kétoprofène non dilué. / Cyclooxygenase (COX) 1 has been shown to increase significantly in inflamed ophidian skin and chelonian muscles. Non-selective COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors, such as ketoprofen, could therefore reduce inflammation more effectively than preferential COX-2 inhibitors in reptiles. The objective of this study was to evaluate potential adverse effects of ketoprofen in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Thirteen adult bearded dragons were divided into three groups receiving daily intramuscular injections for 14 days in a prospective randomized controlled blinded study design. Group 1 (n = 5) received saline, group 2 (n = 4) received ketoprofen at 2 mg/kg (diluted 1:10 with saline) and group 3 (n = 4) received ketoprofen at 20 mg/kg (undiluted). Biochemical values, fecal occult blood tests and blood clotting time were assessed before and after the two- week treatment. Renal, digestive, hepatic and muscular histopathology was evaluated. Clinically, injection site reactions were noted in group 3 only. No other clinical adverse effects were detected. No changes were detected in plasma biochemical values and clotting times before and after treatments, nor between control and treatment groups. No lesion associated with ketoprofen toxicity was detected on histologic examination of the kidney, liver and gastrointestinal tract. Histopathological lesions of muscular necrosis at the injection sites were noted in all groups and were statistically more severe in group 3 compared to group 1. In conclusion, daily intramuscular administration of diluted ketoprofen at 2 mg/kg for 14 days did not cause adverse effects in a small number of bearded dragons, while severe muscular necrosis was detected following administration of undiluted ketoprofen at 20 mg/kg.

Förlust av biologisk mångfald är den planetära gräns som överskrids mest, och medför bland de största hoten mot biosfärens integritet. Reptiler är funktionella delar i ekosystem, men habitatförlust, förändrad markanvändning och klimatförändringar orsakar globala populationsminskningar. Ekologisk övervakning möjliggör förståelse för arters tillstånd, och utveckling av bevarandeåtgärder. Denna förekomststudie syftar till att undersöka lokal reptilfauna, som inventerades med artificial cover objects (ACO) i två naturområden på Billingen, ett av de västsvenska platåbergen, i Skövde kommun 2021. Data från miljöbeskrivning och inventering samt över väderförhållanden samlades in, och samband mellan observationer och miljöfaktorer testades med statistiskt t-test för positiva skillnader mellan datagrupper. Skogsödla (Zootoca vivipara), kopparödla (Anguis fragilis), snok (Natrix natrix) och huggorm (Vipera berus),alla allmänna reptilarter i regionen, observerades i undersökningsområdet. Nio observationer gjordes under 20 regnfria dagar i juni och juli, med temperaturer över 18°C. Biotopkvaliteterna brynmiljöer och nektarresurser, solexponering och de öppna biotoperna beteshage och elledningsgata, förekom i signifikant högre utsträckning där observationer gjordes, än på platser utan observationer. Markfuktighet, mänsklig närvaro, naturvärden och områdesskydd uppvisade ingen signifikans. Resultaten överensstämmer med andra studier om reptilarternas habitat, och kan ses gälla på lokal nivå trots ett relativt litet dataunderlag. Effektiva reptilbevarande åtgärder i närområdet kan innebära upprätthållande och skapande av ytor med hög solinstrålning och strukturell komplexitet, fortsatt men inte utökat lågintensivt naturbete, samt ökad halt avträdslagsblandning och brynmiljöer i produktionsskog. Kunskapen kring reptilers ekologi, samtövervakningen av populationer, behöver utökas. Det rekommenderas vidare studier om reptiler, deras habitat och bevarande av biologisk mångfald på lokala nivåer. / Biodiversity loss is the most exceeded planetary boundary, and entails some of the largest threats against biosphere integrity. Reptiles are functional parts of ecosystems, but habitat loss and changes in land use and climate are causing global population declines. Ecological monitoring enables understanding of species’ conditions, and development of conservation measures. This occurrence study aims to investigate local reptile fauna, surveyed using artificial cover objects (ACOs), in two areas on Billingen, one of Western Sweden’s table mountains, in Skövde municipality 2021. Environmental, survey and weather data were collected, and relations between observations and environmental factors were tested with statistical t-test for positive differences between data groups. Zootoca vivipara, Anguis fragilis, Natrix natrix and Vipera berus, all regionally common reptile species, were observed in the investigated area. Nine observationswere made during 20 rain-free days in June and July, with temperatures above 18°C. Solarexposure, biotope qualities Forest edges and Nectar resources, and the open biotopes Pasture and Powerline corridor, occurred in significantly higher extent where observations were made, than on sites without observations. Soil moisture, Human presence, Natural values and Environmental protection did not exhibit any significance. The results correspond to other studies on the reptilespecies’ habitat, and may apply on a local scale despite a relatively small data amount. Effective conservation measures for local reptiles can imply maintaining and creating spaces with high solar radiation and structural complexity, continued but not extended low-intensity grazing, and increasing tree species mixture and edge zones in production forests. Knowledge on reptile ecology and population monitoring needs to increase. Further studies on reptiles and biodiversity conservation on local scales are recommended.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Many kinds of interactions among species occur in nature, these relationships can be mutually beneficial as both antagonistic. The predator-prey relationship is an example of consumer-resource interactions, which organizes the biological communities in food chains. This work is divided in two chapters, the first is related to how the assemblage of lizards of Monumento Natural Grota do Angico use trophic resources and how the diet is influenced by the availability of local food and seasonality. The second chapter refers to a field experiment focused on the frequency of attacks to the artificial replicas of lizards. Information on the frequency of tail breakage was also used. This information has been confronted with characteristics of the environments studied, periods, predators, sex and foraging strategies. The study was conducted from January 2012 to June 2013 for diet and frequency of tail breaks data and two separate campaigns in July (rainy season) and November (dry season) for the experiment with the replicas in an area of Caatinga of Sergipe the Monumento Natural Grota do Angico. In general, the species had similar diets, Isoptera was the most important prey to A. ocellifera, G. geckoides, L. klugei and B. heathi and Formicidae to T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus demonstrating a high electivity of a few food resource categories by the species. The prey consumption by each species in both periods was similar in the frequency of categories used, but differed in the type of prey. There was no difference between the diet of the species and the food availability, indicating that it reflects environmental availability. We observed differences between periods regarding the frequencies of replica attack, being more frequent in the dry season. Evaluation of sites showed that there were differences in the frequency of attacks during the wet season, the same was not observed for the dry season and for general assessment (added information from both periods). The frequency of attacks varied depending on the microhabitats in which they were placed, being more common in soil, and on the types of predators, the attacks were more frequent in the rainy season by birds and in the dry season by ants. Regarding the position where the attack occurred, the body and the head were the most common sites, regardless the category of predator. Regarding the frequency of tail breaks, differences were observed only within the gender, being more common in male individuals. / Na natureza ocorrem muitos tipos de interações entre as espécies, relações estas que podem ser tanto antagônicas quanto mutuamente benéficas. A relação predador-presa é um exemplo de interação consumidor-recurso, que organiza as comunidades biológicas em cadeias alimentares. O presente trabalho é apresentado em dois capítulos, sendo o primeiro referente à forma como a taxocenose de lagartos do Monumento Natural Grota do Angico utiliza os recursos tróficos e como a dieta é influenciada pela disponibilidade de alimento local e pela sazonalidade. Já o segundo capítulo refere-se a um experimento de campo focado nas frequências de ataques as réplicas artificiais de lagartos. Informações sobre as frequências de quebra de cauda foram também utilizadas. Essas informações foram confrontadas com características dos ambientes estudados, períodos, predadores, sexo e estratégias de forrageamento. O trabalho foi realizado entre janeiro de 2012 a junho de 2013 para dados da dieta e frequência de quebras de cauda e duas campanhas distintas julho (período chuvoso) e novembro (período seco) para o experimento com as réplicas em uma área de Caatinga de Sergipe, o Monumento Natural Grota do Angico. Em geral, as espécies apresentaram dietas semelhantes, sendo Isoptera a presa mais importante para A. ocellifera, G. geckoides, L. klugei e B. heathi e Formicidae para T. hispidus e T. semitaeniatus demonstrando uma alta eletividade de poucas categorias de recursos alimentares pelas espécies. O consumo de presas por cada espécie nos dois períodos foi semelhante em relação à frequência de categorias utilizadas, mas diferiram no tipo de presa. Não houve diferença entre as dietas das espécies e a disponibilidade, indicando que elas refletem a disponibilidade no ambiente. Variações entre os períodos foram verificadas em relação às frequências de ataque as réplicas, sendo mais frequentes no período seco. Em uma avaliação realizada por sítios, houve diferenças nas frequências de ataques para o período chuvoso, o mesmo não foi observado para o período seco e para avaliação geral (informações somadas dos dois períodos). As frequências de ataque variaram também em função dos microhabitats em que foram colocadas, sendo mais comuns no solo, e em relação aos tipos de predadores, mais frequentes por aves no período chuvoso e por formigas no período seco. Em relação à posição em que o ataque ocorreu, o tronco e a cabeça foram os locais mais comuns, independente da categoria de predador. Quanto às frequências de quebras de cauda, foram observadas diferenças apenas em relação aos sexos dos indivíduos, mais comuns em machos.

Le changement climatique récent a des conséquences dramatiques pour la biodiversité, à travers des modifications des conditions abiotiques et biotiques. La vulnérabilité d'une espèce au changement climatique peut dépendre de son habitat, de sa position au sein de sa communauté ainsi que de sa physiologie thermique. A cet égard, les espèces ectothermes, dont la température interne dépend directement du milieu extérieur, sont considérées comme particulièrement vulnérables à l'augmentation de température. Nous avons étudié expérimentalement l'impact du réchauffement climatique futur sur une espèce de vertébré ectotherme, le lézard vivipare (Zootoca vivipara). Pour cela nous avons utilisé le Métatron, un système de grands enclos semi-naturels dans lesquels les conditions climatiques peuvent être manipulées. Nous avons étudié l'impact d'un climat futur plus chaud (+2°C) sur la dynamique des populations et leur risque d'extinction, ainsi que sur les capacités d'adaptation des populations par la plasticité phénotypique, la sélection et la dispersion. De plus, nous avons considéré l'impact du changement climatique à l'échelle de la communauté. Nous démontrons que le changement climatique futur a un impact négatif sur les populations de lézard vivipare, avec un risque d'extinction à court terme. Cependant, des moyens d'adaptation existent, à travers des changements de phénologie et de physiologie (mélanisme, préférences thermiques). Enfin, les conséquences du changement climatique ne sont pas limitées à l'impact sur les populations de lézard, mais affectent la communauté toute entière, depuis les communautés de plantes et d'insectes jusqu'aux communautés microbiennes. / Recent global change has dramatic impacts on biodiversity, through modifications in abiotic and biotic factors. Species vulnerability to changing climates depend for instance of its habitat, its position within the community and its thermal physiology. In this respect, ectotherm species are considered particularly vulnerable as their body temperature depend directly on their environment. We experimentally studied the impact of future climate change on an ectotherm vertebrate species, the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara). We used the Metatron, a system of semi-natural enclosures in which climatic conditions can be manipulated. We studied the impact of warmer climatic conditions (+2°C) on common lizard's population dynamics and extinction risk, and on population adaptation capacity through plasticity, selection and dispersal. We further investigated the impact of climate change at the community scale. We demonstrated that future climatic conditions pose a threat to common lizard. However, possibilities of adaptation exist through changes in phenology and physiology (preferred temperature and melanism). Finally, we show that changing climatic conditions have an impact on the entire communities, from plants and insects to microbial communities.