RT Journal Article
T1 Do skin pockets of lizards reduce the deleterious effects of ectoparasites? An experimental study with Psammodromus algirus
A1 Salvador, Alfredo
A1 Veiga, Jose Pablo
A1 Civantos Calzada, Emilio
AB Many species of lizards have skin invaginations that contain ectoparasites. These structures could concentrate ectoparasites and reduce their harmful effects, but experimental evidence supporting this hypothesis is largely lacking. We report here the first experimental test of this hypothesis which we conducted with the lacertid lizard Psammodromus algirus, a species that has a nuchal pocket on each side of the neck and is a regular intermediate host of the tick Ixodes ricinus. We manipulated circulating testosterone levels of males to increase tick infestation and blocked pockets to prevent tick attachment. When ticks had free access to pockets, ticks were attached mainly in pockets when tick load was low, but they were present in similar proportions in ears, pockets, and axillae in heavily parasited males. When tick pockets were blocked, infestation rates were comparable to those of unblocked lizards, but ticks were concentrated on the ears and in the axillae. The experimental group, with blocked pockets, was seen over a shorter period and in a smaller patch of habitat. This suggests that survival and home range were reduced. These data indicate that concentration of ticks in pockets may be beneficial for P. algirus and support the functional value of these structures.
PB Herpetologists' League
SN 0018-0831
YR 1999
FD 1999
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/96542
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/96542
LA eng
NO The work was supported by DGICYT projects PB 94-0067 and PB 94-0070-C02-01, and a DGICYT predoctoral grant to E. Civantos. Permission for this study was granted by Agencia de Medio Ambiente, Comunidad de Madrid (13/064959.2/95).
NO Comunidad de Madrid
NO Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 10 abr 2025