Thermal Ecology of a Central Anatolian Population of <i>Ophisops elegans</i> : Insights From Field Measurements and Microclimate Modeling

ABSTRACT Ophisops elegans , a widespread lizard species, serves as an ideal model organism for investigating how environmental and morphological parameters influence the thermal ecology of lizards. In this study, the thermal ecology of O. elegans was examined from a single population from central Turkey by recording body temperatures alongside various morphological and environmental parameters. Additionally, microclimate temperatures were measured using dataloggers and modeled using NicheMapR. Thermoregulatory efficiency was calculated separately using field recorded and NicheMapR modeled temperatures. As expected, substrate and air temperatures emerged as the most significant factors influencing thermal biology, with body size further modulating thermal dynamics through interactions with substrate temperature. Thermoregulatory efficiency values remained biologically stable across the season ( E ~ 0.78), with field recorded and modeled thermal indexes being very similar, validating NicheMapR as a robust tool for characterizing the thermal characteristics of ectotherms. These findings provide a critical baseline for forecasting the response of O. elegans populations to shifting climatic regimes.