Thermal conditions determine lizards' response to oil contamination in a desert habitat

Shahar Gofer; Tamar Nassi; Oded Berger-Tal; Amos Bouskila

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107411

Thermal conditions determine lizards' response to oil contamination in a desert habitat

iScience. 2023 Jul 18;26(8):107411. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107411. eCollection 2023 Aug 18.

Authors

Shahar Gofer¹, Tamar Nassi², Oded Berger-Tal¹, Amos Bouskila^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel.
² Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.

Abstract

A unique, hyper-arid habitat in southern Israel was polluted by crude oil in 2014. Surveys following the event found that some species of local lizards avoid the oil, while other species were found more frequently in polluted plots. These results raised the question: why do species react differently to oil-polluted soil? We evaluated how soil type, thermal conditions, and food availability interacted to shape habitat preferences of three lizard species. Generally, thermal conditions determined habitat selection and preferences for contaminated or clean soils, while the effects of food availability were weak. The diurnal Acanthodactylus opheodurus avoided artificial heating sources, perhaps to avoid hot soil during warm hours. Both nocturnal Stenodactylus species showed a preference for higher temperature treatments. While crude oil is considered harmful, ectotherms may not recognize it as a danger and may be attracted to it due to its thermal properties, which may create an ecological trap.

Keywords: Animals; Pollution; Wildlife behavior.

Associated data

figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.23303744