Maternal nesting behaviour in city dragons: a species with temperature-dependent sex determination

Nicola Kent; Romane H Cristescu; Carmen Piza Roca; Bethan Littleford-Colquhoun; Kasha Strickland; Celine H Frere

doi:10.1093/jue/juz005

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Maternal nesting behaviour in city dragons: a species with temperature-dependent sex determination

Journal article

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Maternal nesting behaviour in city dragons: a species with temperature-dependent sex determination

Nicola Kent, Romane H Cristescu, Carmen Piza Roca, Bethan Littleford-Colquhoun, Kasha Strickland and Celine H Frere

Journal of Urban Ecology, Vol.5(1)

2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juz005

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Abstract

urbanisation

animal behaviour

urban dweller

eastern water dragon

temperature-dependent sex determination

Urban environments present some of the greatest challenges to species survival. This is particularly true for species that exhibit thermally sensitive traits, such as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). This is because urban environments not only present species with entirely novel ecosystems, but species will also experience increased temperatures. These temperature increases may result not only in offspring mortality, but also skewed population sex ratios. To persist in cities, urban dwellers with TSD will therefore need to adjust the temperature of the nesting environment, either through phenotypic plasticity or rapid evolution through natural selection. Here, we investigate the nesting ecology of a long-lived, urban dwelling reptile, the eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), to understand how a TSD species may respond to urban environments. Based on data collected from 72 nests over 2 nesting seasons, we show that city dragons not only dug significantly deeper nests than previously observed across their natural riparian habitat, but also nested in novel substrates. Furthermore, we observed a behaviour not previously described in this species, where mothers travel outside of their core home range to nest. This excursion behaviour potentially represents a greater maternal investment and is linked to the selection of specific microhabitats.

Details

Title: Maternal nesting behaviour in city dragons: a species with temperature-dependent sex determination
Authors: Nicola Kent (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Romane H Cristescu (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Carmen Piza Roca (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Bethan Littleford-Colquhoun (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Kasha Strickland (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Celine H Frere (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Journal of Urban Ecology, Vol.5(1); 11
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date published: 2019
DOI: 10.1093/jue/juz005
ISSN: 2058-5543
Copyright note: Copyright © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; School of Education and Tertiary Access; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450885402621
Output Type: Journal article

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