SICB 2019: How Does Texture Affect Lizard Use of Arboreal Habitats?

Extensive research on the habitat use of Caribbean anole species has allowed for a general understanding of the ecomorphs and how they partition the habitat of a singular tree. However, less is known about the habitat use of geckos, specifically Phelsuma laticauda, which has adhesive toe pads similar to anoles, but could differ from anoles in toe pad performance due to their unique shape. Travis Hagey from Mississippi University for Women, along with John Philips and Eben Gering (University of Idaho and Michigan State University) examined preferred perch types of Anolis carolinensis (green anole), Norops sagrei (brown anole), and Phelsuma laticauda after placing them in similar habitats in Kauai and Oahu, HI.

They found that texture had the largest effect on habitat use where geckos used smooth surfaces in the canopy and brown anoles used rough surfaces near the ground. This study interestingly created polymer casts of different textured surfaces and used a stylus profiler to quantify miniscule peaks and valleys within terrains. Brown and green anoles partitioned the habitat as expected, while geckos shared the canopy with green anoles, but had a wider range of perch angles because they were able to utilize the bottom of leaves as well.

The gecko is ecologically similar to the crown-giant and morphologically similar to the twig anole, and this study leads to further questions about how geckos would partition their habitats in the presence of anoles. It calls for research further into what genetic variation among these species might affect adaptation, and how geckos balance tradeoffs of toe pad adhesiveness, limb-length, and sprint speed as Caribbean anoles do to maximize fitness and survival.