Thermoregulation of Ophisops elegans menetries, 1832 (Squamata:Lacertidae)

Terrestrial ectotherm organisms regulate their body temperatures through various behaviors. Behavioral thermoregulation can be demonstrated by calculating the effectiveness of thermoregulation. In this study, body temperatures and morphological parameters of individuals of the Ophisops elegans species were measured during the period they were active in field conditions, and in addition, environmental parameters such as air temperature, substrate temperature, and solar radiation were recorded in the micro-habitats they inhabited. Afterwards, microclimate data in the area were obtained both with dataloggers and online supported microclimate software programs. Following this, the preferred temperature of the O. elegans species was measured in the laboratory environment and the effectiveness of thermoregulation was calculated. Behavioral thermoregulation was observed and its relationship with morphological characters was examined. Lastly, temperature measurement methods via thermal imaging, which can ease research, have also been tested. The results show that the most influential parameters on the body temperature of O. elegans were the environmental and substrate temperatures. The effectiveness of thermoregulation for the O. elegans species has been calculated as a significant value of 0.82, indicating that it becomes more evident as it approaches 1. This shows that O. elegans makes behavioral thermoregulation with a very high efficiency during activity time. Thermal camera measurement results showed that the closest and safest measurement point to body temperature is the nose.