Fine-scale analysis of habitat occupancy by Kura lizard (Darevskia portschinskii) and its daughter parthenogenetic form (Darevskia dahli)

Abstract

Two species of rock lizards, the parthenogenetic D. dahli and the sexually reproducing D. portschinskii, coexist in a rocky outcrop in an area of ca. 1 ha, in the vicinity of Tbilisi, Georgia; the location has been well-known since the middle 1960s. The population density of the parthenogenetic lizard is five times higher than that of the sexual breeder. We studied the distribution of active lizards in space and time over three consecutive years, during the spring and autumn activity periods, to explore spatial and temporal differences between the species on a fine spatial scale. We studied the influence of temperature, humidity, and quantitative characteristics of the surface and the distance from permanent water source on the spatial distribution of D. dahli and D. portschinskii. Darevskia portschinskii was less dependent on the distance from the water source and more evenly distributed in space and time than D. dahli. Despite potential competitive interactions, the species did not avoid each other on the microhabitat scale, suggesting that the observed ecological differences are not caused by a niche shift. More individuals of the sexual breeder than individuals of the parthenogen were found in suboptimal habitats. This feature may increase the evolutionary success of D. portschinskii in a long-term perspective.