Trans-marine dispersal inferred from the saltwater tolerance of lizards from Taiwan.

ABSTRACT: Dehydration and hypersalinity challenge non-marine organisms crossing the ocean. The rate of water loss and saltwater tolerance thus determine the ability to disperse over sea and further influence species distribution. Surprisingly, this association between physiology and ecology is rarely investigated in terrestrial vertebrates. Here we conducted immersion experiments to individuals and eggs of six lizard species differently distributed across Taiwan and the adjacent islands to understand if the physiological responses reflect the geographical distribution. We found that Plestiodon elegans had the highest rate of water loss and the lowest saltwater tolerance, whereas Eutropis longicaudata and E. multifasciata showed the lowest rate of water loss and the highest saltwater tolerance. Diplo

SUBMITTER: Hsu MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7880474 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature