Resource partitioning patterns between two sympatric lizard species from Algeria

• Published in: Journal of arid environments Vol. 69; no. 1; pp. 158 - 168
• Main Authors: Rouag, R., Djilali, H., Gueraiche, H., Luiselli, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acanthodactylus; Acanthodactylus erythrurus; Amphibia. Reptilia; Animal and plant ecology; animal behavior; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; arid zones; Biological and medical sciences; Coleoptera; Daily activity; Diptera; ecological function; feeding behavior; feeding preferences; Food; Formicidae; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; insectivores; Lacertidae; Lacertilia; length; Lizard; lizards; microhabitats; Monte Carlo method; niches; Parc National d’El Kala; predation; Psammodromus algirus; seasonal variation; species differences; sympatric species; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; weight; Algeria; Africa; Parc National d’El Kala; Daily activity; Acanthodactylus erythrurus; Lizard; Psammodromus algirus; Food; Arid environment; Sympatry; Resource sharing; Feeding; Psammodromus algiruis; Resource repartition; Vertebrata; Sauria; Reptilia; Pare National d' El Kala
• ISSN: 0140-1963; 1095-922X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.08.008

Food habits and daily activity patterns were studied in sympatric populations of the lizards Psammodromus algirus and Acanthodactylus erythrurus (Lacertidae) from the Parc National d’El Kala, north-eastern Algeria. In this area, these two species inhabited nearly the same microhabitats and were similar in terms of body length and weight. Both species were insectivorous, and fed primarily upon Coleoptera, Formicidae, and Diptera. The interspecific diet overlap was very high in terms of both the total number of prey items and the per cent of lizards containing a given food type. Null model analysis by Monte Carlo simulations (using the RA2 and RA3 algorithms) revealed that the high diet overlap values were not produced by chance. Daily activity patterns differed intraspecifically depending on the season, and interspecifically during both spring and summer. It is possible that the interspecific differences in daily activity patterns may help facilitating coexistence of the two study species. The high diet overlap may depend on the convergent eco-physiological needs of these two species in the arid environment, which forces them to apply a similar foraging strategy, i.e. preying on a few abundant and easily found prey sources.