title: Digestive performance in five Mediterranean lizard species: effects of temperature and insularity.
abstract: Temperature sensitivity of digestive processes has important ramifications for digestive performance in ectothermic vertebrates. We conducted a comparative analysis of temperature effects on digestive processes [gut passage times (GPTs) and apparent digestive efficiencies (ADEs)] in five lacertid lizards occurring in insular (Podarcis erhardii, P. gaigeae), and mainland (P. muralis, P. peloponnesiaca, Lacerta graeca) Mediterranean environments. GPTs were negatively correlated to temperature with mainland taxa having 10-20% longer GPTs than island taxa. In contrast to previous studies that estimate ADEs using bomb calorimetry, we compare ADEs by analyzing discrete efficiencies for lipids, sugars and proteins at three temperature regimes (20, 25, and 30 degrees C); each of these categories produces different results. ADEs for lipids and sugars showed a monotonic increase with temperature whereas ADEs for proteins decreased with temperature. Island taxa had consistently higher ADEs than their mainland counterparts for lipids and for proteins but not for sugars. They are characterized by superior energy acquisition abilities despite significantly shorter GPTs. Their increased digestive performance relative to the mainland species appears to allow them to maximize energy acquisition in unproductive island environments where food availability is spatially and seasonally clustered.
authors.affiliation: Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis 157-84, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pafilis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Foufopoulos
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Poulakakis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lymberakis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valakos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology; D005843:Geography; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature