Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
23rd European Congress of Herpetology, Bonn, Almanya, 8 - 12 Eylül 2025, ss.273, (Özet Bildiri)
Thermal ecology and substrate use of nocturnal geckos remain understudied, despite their reliance on behavioral thermoregulation in the absence of solar radiation. This study investigated nighttime substrate preferences and their thermal consequences in Hemidactylus turcicus (28♂, 20♀) on an Aegean Island (Bozcaada, Türkiye) during spring by assessing substrate type (shelter, crevice, open) and size (large, small). Additionally, body (Tb) and substrate temperatures (Ts) were measured to explore potential links between substrate preferences and degree of active thermoregulation (ΔTs = |Tb − Ts|). Rock crevices were the most frequently used substrate type by both sexes, suggesting their importance as nighttime refugia and sources of thermal stability. While males predominantly used small rocks, females did not display a distinct preference for any particular substrate size. Tb significantly varied with substrate type, with females showing differences between open and crevice substrates, while males exhibited differences between open vs. crevice and open vs. shelter substrates (p<0.05). Both females (p:0.027) and males (p:0.000) exhibited significantly higher Tb values on large rocks compared to small ones. ΔTs was significantly greater in females than in males (p:0.038), implying sex-specific thermoregulatory strategies. A strong positive correlation was found between Tb and Ts (r:0.883, p<0.001), highlighting the critical role of rock temperature in influencing body temperature of individuals in their natural habitat. These results underscore how nocturnal ectotherms rely on substrate features to navigate thermal heterogeneity and sustain physiological function. Acknowledgements: This study is part of the PhD thesis titled “Thermal Biology in Bozcaada Population of Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758)(Sauria:Gekkonidae)”, supported by the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University The Scientific Research Coordination Unit, Project number: FDK-2025-5073.