Date of Award

12-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Dr. Travis R. Robbins

Abstract

Ectothermic organisms make up a vast majority of animal species and fill many vital roles in ecosystems due to their prevalence. Because ectotherms are inherently affected by the thermal environment, they are severely impacted by environmental issues such as climate change and other human driven processes that may affect thermal habitats. To better understand how ecosystems are affected by changes in climate, we need a greater understanding of how ectothermic organisms respond and adapt to altered environmental temperatures. This study aims to understand some of the adaptational differences between populations of a widespread lizard species, Sceloporus consobrinus, that inhabit a wide variety of thermally distinct environments. We looked into digestive efficiency and what role temperature and behavior may play in the effectiveness of how this species extracts energy from food. We found that there are differences in thermoregulatory behavior between populations of S. consobrinus that are adapted to different thermal environments, and that individuals of this species extract greater amounts of energy from digested food when allowed to freely thermoregulate.

Comments

The author holds the copyright to this work and any reuse or permissions must be obtained from them directly. 

PDF passed Adobe accessibility checker prior to upload. 

Download

Share

COinS