The Impact of Phenotypic Characteristics on Thermoregulation in a Cold-Climate Agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus guinanensis

Physiological and metabolic processes of ectotherms are markedly influenced by ambient temperature. Previous studies have shown that the abdominal black-speckled area becomes larger with increased elevation in plateau Phrynocephalus, however, no studies have verified the hypothesis that this variation is correlated with the lizard's thermoregulation. In this study, infrared thermal imaging technology was first used to study the skin temperature variation of torsos, heads, limbs and tails of a cold-climate agamid lizard, Phrynocephalus guinanensis. The heating rates of the central abdominal black-speckled skin area and peripheral non-black-speckled skin area under solar radiation were compared. Our results showed that the heating rates of limbs and tails were relatively faster than the torsos, as heating time was extended, rates gradually slowed before stabilizing under solar radiation. Under the environment without solar radiation, the cooling rates of limbs and tails were also relatively faster than the torsos of lizards, the rates slowed down and finally became stable as the cooling time was extended. We also found that the heating rate of the abdominal black-speckled skin area was faster than the nearby non-black-speckled skin area. These results increased our insights into the functional significance of these phenotypic traits and help explain their covariation with the thermal environment in these cold-climate agamid lizards.