Behavioural flexibility in foraging mode of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) seems to buffer negative impacts of savanna degradation
- In this field experiment we investigate the impact of land use induced savanna degradation on movement behaviour of the spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis l. lineoocellata) in the southern Kalahari. Foraging behaviour of lizards was tested in a factorial design (low vs. high prey availability) in degraded and non-degraded habitats. An interaction between habitat structure and prey availability affected movement behaviour. In degraded habitats with low prey availability and in non-degraded habitats with high prey availability the spotted sand lizard moved more like an active forager. In contrast, in degraded habitats with high prey availability and in non-degraded habitats with low prey availability lizards moved like sit-and-wait foragers. Interestingly, the behavioural flexibility of the spotted sand lizard seems to buffer extreme conditions and negative effects of land use impacts.
Author details: | J. Blumroeder, Jana EccardORCiDGND, Niels BlaumORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.10.005 |
ISSN: | 0140-1963 |
Title of parent work (English): | Journal of arid environments |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Place of publishing: | London |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Year of first publication: | 2012 |
Publication year: | 2012 |
Release date: | 2017/03/26 |
Tag: | Kalahari; Land use; Movement ecology; Overgrazing; Shrub encroachment |
Volume: | 77 |
Issue: | 2 |
Number of pages: | 4 |
First page: | 149 |
Last Page: | 152 |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Biochemie und Biologie |
Peer review: | Referiert |