As an indicator of physiological state of lizards, thermoregulatory behavior has been proposed as an assessment tool of environmental contamination, particularly in desert ecosystems where lizards represent a major biological component. Although pesticide contamination has been shown to induce behavioral fever in lizards, the possible pyrogenic effect of heavy metals has received less attention. The objective of this study was to provide data on this issue by using Bosk's fringe-toed lizards (Acanthodactylus boskianus) living in a metal-contaminated industrial area in south-eastern Tunisia as a study model. Combining field observations of behavior with measures of thermoregulatory performance under laboratory conditions, we found that proximity to the industrial zone was associated to a different thermoregulatory behavior of lizards. There was a tendency of lizards living close to the contamination source to display behavioral fever, as they spent more time in the sun, preferred higher body temperatures, and warmed up faster, compared to lizards living far away. This heat-seeking behavior is likely a reaction to improve the functioning of physiological systems involved in the defense against toxic effects of heavy metals, possibly through the increase of metabolic rate, stimulation of enzymes involved in the detoxification process, and enhancement of immune defense systems. Our findings stress the need for further detailed studies into the physiological mechanisms linking metal contamination to behavioral fever. They also underline the usefulness of thermoregulatory behavior as a reliable, non-destructive, and inexpensive, individual-level biomarker in lizard ecotoxicology and biomonitoring of contaminated desert environments.
Keywords: Behavioral fever; Heavy metals; Lizards; Thermoregulation; Tunisia.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.