CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The Sand Dune Lizard (Liolaemus multimaculatus) is an endemic and vulnerable species of Pampean coasts of Buenos Aires and Río Negro provinces in Argentina. The goals of this work were: (1) to assess this species preferences concerning plant types and shrub size relative to their availability; and (2) to evaluate the relationships between shrub size and sex and size of lizards. The study was performed in the Mar Chiquita Provincial Nature Reserve (37º 37´ S 57º 16´ W), Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. We estimate shrubs size and availability. We searched for lizards recording sex and SVL for each individual. We also recorded the use of shrubs located close to the position of the lizards. We also measured lizard preferences in relation to plant types availability (herbs, shrubs and/or trees). We applied the use-availability design to assess preferences for both shrub size and plant types. The use-availability analysis for different shrub sizes showed significant differences (chi square=14.93; P-value=0,005; d.f.=4). Bonferroni confidence intervals (95%) showed that lizards avoid shrubs smaller than 1m3, and prefer shrubs larger than this size. Considering habitat used by lizards in relation to plant types, we found significant differences between availability and use (chi square= 76.17; P-value=0.001; d.f.: 1; n= 328), with clear preference for habitats formed only by herbs plants. Sand dune lizard do not use shrubs according to their availability neither use microhabitats in a random way, if we consider the plant types that conform these microhabitats. Liolaemus multimaculatus selects and prefers shrubs with sizes larger than 1 m3, avoids shrubs smaller than this size and also prefer microhabitats formed by herbaceous species. In our study area, all shrubs corresponded to Spartina ciliata.

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