The effects of prey species on food conversion efficiency and growth of an insectivorous lizard
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20175.abs Little is known about the effects of different prey species on lizard growth. We conducted a 6-week study to determine the relative effects of prey species on growth parameters of hatchling western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis. Lizards were fed house cricket nymphs, Acheta domesticus, or mealworm larvae, Tenebrio molitor. The effects of prey […]
External and internal influences on indices of physiological stress. I. Seasonal and population variation in adrenocortical secretion of free living lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis
The plasma levels of glucocorticoid hormones (e. g., corticosterone and cortisol) are often used as an index of physiological stress. However, under natural conditions, glucocorticoid secretion can respond to both environmental influences (e. g., extreme climatic conditions) and internal influences (populational differences and annual seasonal cycles). To distinguish between these kinds of influences, we examined […]
Hormonal alterations and reproductive inhibition in male fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) infected with the malarial parasite Plasmodium mexicanum
When naturally infected with the malarial parasite Plasmodium mexicanum, Western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis, exhibit numerous reproductive pathologies. Infected males display fewer courtship and territorial behaviors, have altered sexually dimorphic coloration, and have smaller testes. Infected animals store less fat by late summer, which, for females, reduces clutch size in the spring We describe hormonal […]