Research Interests

I use the Iberian rock lizard (Lacerta monticola) as a model system to address the evolution of behavioural, morphological and physiological traits under sexual and sperm competition selective pressures. My research has focused on the role of copulatory plugs and sperm displacement on the outcome of sperm competition and on the role of femoral gland secretions in signalling chemically male social status. I have also experimented on the effects of fungal pathogens on lizard egg mortality and early embryo hatching and on the use of conspecific fecal chemicals by juveniles for their spatial decisions. Currently, I am running a project aiming to test for the genetic benefits accrued by promiscuous females and the mechanisms of female sperm choice in Iberian rock lizards. This project will couple observational fieldwork on the species genetic mating system with experimental research using lizards breeding in captivity.

Study Species

Iberian rock lizards are small lacertids that inhabit high mountains and northwest coastal regions of the Iberian Peninsula and comprise several species and subspecies. In Portugal, Lacerta monticola is restricted to a single population at Serra da Estrela mountain and is distributed between 1400 meters and the mountain top at 1993 meters of altitude. This population is estimated to range 57 Km² and to comprise 400 000 to 700 000 individuals. Lizards are active from March-May to October-November. Adult males emerge from winter dormancy 1-2 weeks before adult females and the mating season starts soon after, once males have shed the skin. Males are territorial, engage into frequent fights, and mate guard females. Males and females are sexually promiscuous. Females copulate 4-8 times during 1 week of sexual receptivity, frequently with several different males, and produce a single clutch of 2-12 eggs per year. Egg laying occurs in June-July, females do not attend the eggs, and offspring hatch in August-September. Lizards reach sexual maturity when they attain 64-70 mm snout-vent-length, at 1-2 years of age at lower altitudes of the population range and at 3-4 years at the mountain top.

Iberian rock lizards are suited for addressing the role of traits that putatively evolve through sexual and sperm competition selective pressures. The characteristics of its open habitat and high population densities at rocky outcrops allow conducting detailed field observations on the species mating system. Moreover, this species may be easily bred in captivity, thus allowing conduction of experimental research under controlled conditions.