Ecophysiology of a lacertid community in the high Moroccan mountains suggests conservation guidelines

Abstract Lizard species may differ in their ecophysiology due to adaptation, plasticity and/or phylogeny. In restrictive environments, ecophysiological differences of species living in sympatry are expected be reveal long-term evolutionary responses to abiotic environment while competitive interactions should be limited. These influences can be disentangled by combining field monitoring with experimental tests. Three lacertid lizard species, Atlantolacerta andreanskyi, Scelarcis perspicillata and Podarcis vaucheri sharing high mountain habitats in Oukaimeden (High Atlas, Morocco), were analysed. In the field, spatiotemporal variation of thermal and hydric environment used by the lizards was monitored using data-loggers. In the lab, thermal and hydric ecophysiology were estimated from preferred temperatures (Tpref) and water loss (WL) rates. Species differed in microhabitat use and, hence, in their exposure to variations in temperature and humidity. However, they only differed in their WL (A. andreanskyi > S. perspicillata > P. vaucheri) while their Tpref were similar. Such partial differences in the fundamental niche, likely derived from their long-term independent phylogenetic trajectories, can be used to predict their responses to climate and habitat shifts in this and other parts of their respective ranges. Results also confirm previous suggestions that hydric physiology plays a prominent role in the organisation of lizard communities in the temperate region.