TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical cues may allow a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile to avoid extremely saline soils when selecting microhabitats
AU - Martín, José
AU - Ibáñez, Alejandro
AU - Garrido, Mario
AU - Raya-García, Ernesto
AU - López, Pilar
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/5/1
Y1 - 2021/5/1
N2 - When selecting optimal habitats, animals should rely on detecting environmental cues that indicate the suitability of a given site. In fossorial animals, restrictions of the underground environment might limit the opportunities for habitat selection. However, field observations of some fossorial amphisbaenian reptiles indicate that microhabitat occupancy is not random. This might simply result from the low survival of individuals in suboptimal habitats, but it may reflect active behavioral selection. We suggest that, in the fossorial environment, chemical cues may be very important for actively selecting or avoiding specific microhabitats. Here, we tested the ability of Trogonophis wiegmanni amphisbaenians to discriminate and select different types of substrates by using chemical cues alone. In laboratory preference tests, amphisbaenians selected soils with low salinity levels (natural or experimentally manipulated), mimicking the microhabitat selection patterns observed in the wild. Moreover, chemosensory tests measuring tongue-flick rates showed that amphisbaenians discriminated using chemical cues alone between soil types according to natural salinity levels, and also between manipulated chemical stimuli with different salinity levels. These results suggest that the microgeographic patterns of distribution of these amphisbaenians are due to their ability to use substrate chemical cues to actively avoid extremely saline soils. and select optimal microhabitats.
AB - When selecting optimal habitats, animals should rely on detecting environmental cues that indicate the suitability of a given site. In fossorial animals, restrictions of the underground environment might limit the opportunities for habitat selection. However, field observations of some fossorial amphisbaenian reptiles indicate that microhabitat occupancy is not random. This might simply result from the low survival of individuals in suboptimal habitats, but it may reflect active behavioral selection. We suggest that, in the fossorial environment, chemical cues may be very important for actively selecting or avoiding specific microhabitats. Here, we tested the ability of Trogonophis wiegmanni amphisbaenians to discriminate and select different types of substrates by using chemical cues alone. In laboratory preference tests, amphisbaenians selected soils with low salinity levels (natural or experimentally manipulated), mimicking the microhabitat selection patterns observed in the wild. Moreover, chemosensory tests measuring tongue-flick rates showed that amphisbaenians discriminated using chemical cues alone between soil types according to natural salinity levels, and also between manipulated chemical stimuli with different salinity levels. These results suggest that the microgeographic patterns of distribution of these amphisbaenians are due to their ability to use substrate chemical cues to actively avoid extremely saline soils. and select optimal microhabitats.
KW - Amphisbaenians
KW - Chemosensory recognition
KW - Habitat cues
KW - Habitat selection
KW - Soil salinity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100616187&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104452
DO - 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104452
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85100616187
SN - 0140-1963
VL - 188
JO - Journal of Arid Environments
JF - Journal of Arid Environments
M1 - 104452
ER -