Effects of substrate color on intraspecific body color variation in the toad-headed lizard, Phrynocephalus versicolor.

ABSTRACT: Diversity in animal coloration is generally associated with adaptation to their living habitats, ranging from territorial display and sexual selection to predation or predation avoidance, and thermoregulation. However, the mechanism underlying color variation in toad-headed Phrynocephalus lizards remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the population color variation of Phrynocephalus versicolor. We found that lizards distributed in dark substrate have darker dorsal coloration (melanic lizards) than populations living in light substrates. This characteristic may improve their camouflage effectiveness. A reciprocal substrate translocation experiment was conducted to clarify the potential role of morphological adaptation and physiological plasticity of this variation. Spectr

SUBMITTER: Tong H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6787858 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature