Experimental winter warming increases activity with signs of potential DNA damage in common wall lizards.

ABSTRACT: Winter is warming faster than summer, posing a substantial threat to hibernating ectotherms, whose physiology depends directly on environmental conditions. While the effects of active season warming are increasingly well understood, the consequences of winter warming remain understudied. Research has predominantly focused on single, constant thermal regimes, overlooking the role of thermal variability. Furthermore, the specific warming patterns most disruptive to dormancy, their effects on winter activity and the subsequent physiological consequences are poorly understood. Here, we experimentally manipulated overwintering temperatures in the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), from a population introduced in southern UK, to assess the effects of different winter warming regimes on activ

SUBMITTER: Raselimanana M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12690454 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature