Gehyra Geckos Prioritize Warm Over Humid Environments.

ABSTRACT: Maintaining stable hydric and thermal states are dual challenges for reptiles that inhabit terrestrial environments with variable conditions across time and space. Under some conditions, reptiles face a conundrum where both physiological parameters cannot be simultaneously maintained at preferred levels by behavioral or physiological means. Prioritization of behavioral regulation of hydric or thermal state, and at which point this prioritization changes, was tested for nine species of congeneric tropical geckos by assessing their use of microhabitats with distinct thermal and hydric conditions in a controlled environment. Gehyra geckos were presented with two crevices of contrasting humidity levels, and time spent in either crevice was recorded across three ambient temperature treatments o

SUBMITTER: Skelton K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11788877 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature