"Fever in the cold: the case of the southernmost lizards of the world, Liolaemus sarmientoi, from Patagonia, Argentina"

DURAN, F.; BORETTO, J. M.; FERNÁNDEZ, J; IBÁÑEZ MOLINA, MORA

Hangzhou, Zhejiang

Congreso; 8th World Congress of Herpetology; 2016

World Congress of Herpetology

Poleward distribution shifts of species due global warming represent a threat of new parasites, viral infections and bacteria for the residentpopulations. Health condition could affect running performance, stamina, thermoregulation behavior, and field body temperature (Tb). Fever is considered an ancestralphysiological mechanism of host defense to infection which is part of the innate immune response by acting against the invasion of pathogenic biological agents(Zeisberger, 1999). Lizards develop hypothermia (Deen & Hutchison, 2001) or hyperthermia (Hallman et al., 1990; Muchlinski et al., 1995) through thermoregulation toenhance their immune system and counteract the effects of parasites and infection. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunological state and its? relationshipwith the thermal biology, locomotor performance, stamina and body condition of one of the southernmost lizards of the world Liolaemus sarmientoi, from the southernPatagonian steppe of Argentina, South America.