Muniz Pagan, Deborah

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    Current habitat selection and use of the endangered lizard Anolis cooki (Grant, 1931) in the presence of Anolis cristatellus (Duméril and Bibron, 1837), in the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge at Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
    (2019-12-06) Muniz Pagan, Deborah; Bird-Picó, Fernando J.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Puente Rolón, Alberto; Santos Flores, Carlos; Department of Biology; Navarro Rodríguez, Ana
    The study of habitat selection and use by an Anolis species on different types of forest formations at different times of day has not been well documented. Interspecific studies have suggested that anoles use and select perches non-randomly, but clearly very few studies have tested this assumption. To test this assumption, I selected two species (A. cooki and A. cristatellus) that live in sympatry in the subtropical dry forest of the Cabo Rojo National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Puerto Rico. Perch diameter, height, and percent canopy cover for diurnal and sleeping perches were measured for these two species at three different forest formations: mixed scrub, mangrove forests, and cotton bushes. The availability of perch diameters at three different perch heights was also measured to compare current habitat use. I found that A. cooki perched on stems of smaller diameters than A. cristatellus, and that all individuals that perched on stems greater than 1.90 cm in diameter were A. cristatellus. Most A. cooki lizards were perching on perch heights lower than 0.57 m. As with other studies, these two species share the same preferences for sleeping perches as other species of anoles. Lastly, I found a new allopatric population of A. cooki inside the plots that were entirely cotton bushes. I found that both species select perch height and diameter non-randomly, proving that those perches selected provide these lizards a greater probability of finding prey or a mate, avoiding predation, and reducing competition between species. Since habitat use is a complex behavioral trait, preferences amongst these two species needs to be examined even more by using other structural habitat variables to have a better understanding of these species’ preferences.