Dataset of thermophysiological traits and locomotor performance in Sceloporus bicanthalis under pre and post-acclimatisation conditions

The increase in global temperatures threatens the persistence of viviparous lizard populations inhabiting high-altitude habitats, known as 'sky islands'. These isolated populations experience greater temperature fluctuations, which has fostered the development of broad thermal tolerances compared to lower-altitude populations (Janzen's hypothesis). We asked whether a higher thermal tolerance confers a fitness advantage to the species in coping with the increase in temperatures predicted under future climate scenarios. To investigate this, we conducted an acclimation experiment at a low elevation and measured various ecophysiological variables, as well as locomotor performance.

全球气温升高正威胁着栖息于被称为"天空之岛"的高海拔生境的胎生蜥蜴种群的存续。相较于低海拔种群，这些孤立种群承受着更为剧烈的温度波动，进而演化出了更广谱的热耐受能力，这一现象契合简森假说（Janzen's Hypothesis）。本研究旨在探究，更高的热耐受能力是否能赋予该物种应对未来气候情景下预估气温升高的适合度优势。为解答该研究问题，我们在低海拔区域开展了驯化实验，并测定了多项生理生态变量与运动表现。