Data_JTB_MEDINA.csv

Our results highlinghts the importance of incubation temperature as a key factor affecting embryonic development, hatchling morphology, locomotor performance, and hatching success in Salvator merianae. Females construct nests that function as thermal buffers, reducing the impact of extreme environmental fluctuations. This behavior appears to be adaptive, promoting optimal conditions for embryonic development, particularly in nests maintaining temperatures around 29ºC, which yielded the highest hatching success. However, elevated or fluctuating incubation temperatures resulted in shorter incubation periods and improved hatchling locomotor performance, suggesting a trade-off between developmental rate and viability. Given the effects of temperature on functional traits and early survival, and in the context of climate change characterised by rising mean temperatures and more frequent extreme events, it is essential to understand how nest site selection and phenotypic plasticity contribute to species resilience. This study provides empirical evidence that can be used to predict biological responses under future climate scenarios and inform conservation strategies for oviparous reptiles.