City slickers: poor performance does not deter Anolis lizards from using artificial substrates in human-modified habitats

1. As animals move through their environments they encounter a variety of substrates, which have important effects on their locomotor performance. Habitat modification can alter the types of substrates available for locomotion. In particular, many types of artificial substrates have been added to urban areas, but effects of these novel surfaces on animal locomotion are little-known. 2. In this study, we assessed locomotor performance of two Anolis lizard species (A. cristatellus and A. stratulus) on substrates that varied in inclination and surface roughness. Rough substrates represented the tree trunks and branches typically used in natural forest habitats, whereas smooth, vertical substrates captured the qualities of artificial surfaces, such as posts and walls, available in human-modified habitats. We then observed habitat use to test the habitat constraint hypothesis — that lizards should more frequently occupy portions of the habitat in which they perform better. 3. Increased incli...1. 动物在环境中移动时会接触到多种基质（substrates），这些基质对其运动表现（locomotor performance）具有重要影响。生境改造（habitat modification）可改变可供动物进行运动的基质类型。目前城区已新增诸多类型的人工基质（artificial substrates），但这类新型人工表面对动物运动表现的影响却鲜为人知。 2. 本研究针对两种安乐蜥（Anolis）属蜥蜴物种——冠安乐蜥（A. cristatellus）与斑纹安乐蜥（A. stratulus），在倾斜度与表面粗糙度各异的基质上的运动表现展开了评估。粗糙基质对应天然森林生境中常见的树干与树枝，而光滑垂直基质则模拟了人为改造生境中诸如立柱、墙面等人工表面的特性。随后我们通过观察蜥蜴的生境利用情况，对生境限制假说（habitat constraint hypothesis）进行检验——该假说认为蜥蜴会更频繁地占据自身运动表现更佳的生境区域。 3. 倾斜程度的提升……