Morphological Variations in Toad-Headed Agama: Potential Responses to Diverse Microhabitats.

ABSTRACT: The adaptive response of animals to microhabitat variations attracts much attention in evolutionary biology. Animal morphological traits exhibit close associations with microhabitat utilization, critically influencing organismal performance in specific habitats. However, how diverse desert microhabitats drive variations in morphology and related functions remains largely unclear. Here, with two populations of toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) inhabiting semi-arid and arid areas, we compared the microhabitat characteristics as well as the variations in morphological characteristics and locomotor performances (running and burrowing) of lizards. Furthermore, by relating the functional differences and morphology, and thus the variation in microhabitats, we aimed to predict

SUBMITTER: Li S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12457803 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature