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oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/1131172025-03-18T12:37:35Zcom_20.500.14352_14col_20.500.14352_15

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Žagar, Anamarija author Simčič, Tatjana author Dajčman, Urban author Megia Palma, Rodrigo Manuel author 2022 Studies which quantify the influence of abiotic factors on physiological variation are paramount to comprehend organismal responses to diverse environments. We studied three physiological aspects of metabolism in two sympatric and ecologically similar European lizard species, Podarcis muralis and Iberolacerta horvathi, across an 830-m elevational gradient. We collected blood samples and tail tips from adult lizards, which were analyzed for parasitemia, hemoglobin concentration, potential metabolic activity and catalase activity. Hemoglobin concentration was higher in males than females and it increased across elevation in one of the studied species – P. muralis. Parasitemia was not an important predictor of the variation in hemoglobin concentration, which suggests that blood parasites do not constraint the aerobic capacity of the lizards. On the other hand, catalase activity reflected increased antioxidant activity in the presence of higher parasitemia, possibly acting as an adaptive mechanism to reduce oxidative stress during immune activation. Potential metabolic activity, as a proxy for maximum respiratory enzymatic capacity, did not differ between species or sexes nor was it affected by elevation or levels of parasitemia. The results provide insight into the relationships between physiological, biotic, and environmental traits in sympatric lizards. Žagar, A., Simčič, T., Dajčman, U., & Megía-Palma, R. (2022). Parasitemia and elevation as predictors of hemoglobin concentration and antioxidant capacity in two sympatric lizards. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology -Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 270. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CBPA.2022.111233 1095-6433 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111233 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/113117 1531-4332 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.111233 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1095643322000915?via%3Dihub Parasitemia and elevation as predictors of hemoglobin concentration and antioxidant capacity in two sympatric lizards