@article {9674,
	title = {Digestive performance in five Mediterranean lizard species: effects of temperature and insularity},
	journal = {Journal of Comparative Physiology BJournal of Comparative Physiology B},
	volume = {177},
	number = {1},
	year = {2007},
	pages = {49-60},
	abstract = {Temperature sensitivity of digestive processes has important ramifications for digestive performance in ectothermic vertebrates. We conducted a comparative analysis of temperature effects on digestive processes [gut passage times (GPTs) and apparent digestive efficiencies (ADEs)] in five lacertid lizards occurring in insular (Podarcis erhardii, P. gaigeae), and mainland (P. muralis, P. peloponnesiaca, Lacerta graeca) Mediterranean environments. GPTs were negatively correlated to temperature with mainland taxa having 10-20\% longer GPTs than island taxa. In contrast to previous studies that estimate ADEs using bomb calorimetry, we compare ADEs by analyzing discrete efficiencies for lipids, sugars and proteins at three temperature regimes (20, 25, and 30 degrees C); each of these categories produces different results. ADEs for lipids and sugars showed a monotonic increase with temperature whereas ADEs for proteins decreased with temperature. Island taxa had consistently higher ADEs than their mainland counterparts for lipids and for proteins but not for sugars. They are characterized by superior energy acquisition abilities despite significantly shorter GPTs. Their increased digestive performance relative to the mainland species appears to allow them to maximize energy acquisition in unproductive island environments where food availability is spatially and seasonally clustered.},
	keywords = {Reptilia},
	author = {Pafilis, P. and Foufopoulos, J. and Poulakakis, N. and Lymberakis, P. and Efstratios D. Valakos}
}
@article {9681,
	title = {Comparative postautotomy tail activity in six Mediterranean lacertid lizard species},
	journal = {Physiological and Biochemical ZoologyPhysiological and Biochemical Zoology},
	volume = {78},
	number = {5},
	year = {2005},
	pages = {828},
	publisher = {UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS},
	abstract = {Tail autotomy, the self-induced tail separation from the body, is a common and effective antipredator mechanism in lizards. In this study, we examine the muscle energetics of tail shedding in six lacertid lizard species (Podarcis erhardii, Podarcis peloponnesiaca, Podarcis muralis, Podarcis gaigeae, Podarcis milensis, and Lacerta graeca) from the northeast Mediterranean region. Very long periods of postautotomy tail movement were demonstrated for all species (range=68 min), and differences among species were not statistically significant. Postautotomy tail movement, powered by anaerobic muscle activity, resulted in a strong increase in lactate concentrations and a concomitant depletion of muscle glycogen of exhausted tails relative to resting tails. No significant differences were found in either lactate or glycogen concentrations among the species examined. Duration of movement was negatively correlated with final lactate concentrations. The lack of differentiation in postautotomy energetic physiology in this group of species that have evolved under very different predation environments indicates that postautotomy muscle metabolism involves an overall conservative suite of characters.},
	keywords = {Reptilia},
	author = {Pafilis, P. and Efstratios D. Valakos and Foufopoulos, J.}
}
