<b>Effects of soil moisture on microhabitat selection of two fossorial amphisbaenian reptiles from contrasting environments</b>

Climate conditions strongly influence variations in habitat characteristics, and, therefore, can mediate habitat selection. For example, increased extreme climatic events expected from climate change, such as extended drought periods or torrential rains, can alter soil conditions. However, the effects of climate fluctuations on fossorial vertebrates that inhabit subterranean environments, where soil characteristics play a fundamental role in their ecology and behaviour, remain insufficiently studied. In this study, we investigated microhabitat (substrate) selection in relation to soil moisture in two fossorial amphisbaenian reptile species from different environments: <i>Blanus cinereus</i>, from an Iberian continental temperate mountain forest,<i> </i>and <i>Trogonophis wiegmanni,</i> from a North African coastal warm and arid bushy area. In a laboratory experiment, we examined the preferences of the amphisbaenians for substrates manipulated with different moisture levels. We found that only <i>B. cinereus</i> showed a significant response, avoiding substrates with high moisture levels, while <i>T. wiegmanni</i> did not show a significant preference for any specific substrate moisture level. Our findings suggest that interspecific differences in responses to soil moisture may depend on environmental differences. While both species appear to show some tolerance to short-term drought periods, <i>B. cinereus</i> might be more sensitive to flood conditions resulting from torrential rains, suggesting higher vulnerability to climatic fluctuations. These results have important implications for understanding how climate change may affect the ecology and conservation of fossorial reptiles in different natural environments.气候条件强烈影响生境特征的变化，因此可介导生境选择行为。例如，气候变化引发的极端气候事件增多——如持续干旱期或强降雨——可改变土壤状况。然而，对于栖息于地下（subterranean）环境的穴居（fossorial）脊椎动物而言，土壤特征对其生态与行为起着基础性作用，但气候波动对这类物种的影响仍未得到充分研究。本研究针对两种来自不同生境的穴居蚓蜥类爬行动物，探究了其与土壤湿度相关的微生境（基质，substrate）选择行为：一种是栖息于伊比利亚大陆温带山地森林的Blanus cinereus，另一种是栖息于北非沿海温暖干旱灌丛区域的Trogonophis wiegmanni。本研究通过室内实验，考察了这两种蚓蜥对不同湿度梯度处理后的基质的偏好性。结果显示，仅Blanus cinereus表现出显著的响应：其会回避高湿度基质；而Trogonophis wiegmanni并未对特定湿度的基质表现出显著偏好。本研究结果表明，不同物种对土壤湿度的响应差异可能与其所处生境的差异相关。尽管两种蚓蜥均对短期干旱期表现出一定的耐受性，但Blanus cinereus对强降雨引发的洪涝条件更为敏感，这意味着其对气候波动的脆弱性更高。上述结果对于理解气候变化如何影响不同自然环境下穴居爬行动物的生态与保护工作具有重要意义。