Do restinga cnemidophorine lizards run on empty along the Brazilian coast?

Abstract The number of individuals with empty stomachs in a population (i.e. the proportion of individuals “running on empty”) can be used as a simple index of instantaneous energy balance of some organisms such as lizards and fishes. In this study, we aimed to analyze the proportion of empty stomachs in 16 populations of five cnemidophorine species (Glaucomastix abaetensis, Ameivula ocellifera, Glaucomastix littoralis, Contomastix lacertoides and Ameivula nativo) along approximately 5,000 km the Brazilian coast. A total of 550 individuals had their stomach contents removed and identified in the laboratory. Our results showed that the proportion of individuals “running on empty” varied from 0 to 11.1% among the different populations and species. These proportions are suggestive that the five studied species would be in an overall positive energy balance at the time of the study.