Data and code from: When the cover burns: Behavioral and morphological responses of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) to increased openness in post-fire environments
Data files
May 26, 2026 version files 56.05 KB
Abstract
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity due to human activity, yet the behavioral and morphological responses of animals to post-fire stressors remain poorly understood. We linked increased canopy openness in recently burned areas with a greater number of predator attacks on clay models of Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis). We also examined whether lizards that recently experienced a fire exhibited morphological shifts in dorsal darkness to better match the darkened substrates of burned environments and whether they shifted perch use to enhance background matching on substrates that reduce conspicuousness in these altered environments. Lizard dorsal darkness and background matching increased with substrate darkness (i.e., they were better camouflaged against burned substrates), but populations from burned habitats were not overall darker in coloration than those from unburned habitats. This was likely due to a preference for using unburned wooden perches, resulting in an average dorsal darkness comparable to lizards in unburned sites. Despite increased predator attacks in recently burned areas, lizards may not consistently adopt behaviors that enhance background matching in post-fire landscapes. This study provides valuable insights into the behaviors of animals affected by fires and highlights potential trade-offs that could affect reproduction or survival.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.d51c5b0jz
Description of the data and file structure
Lizard data collected from wild-caught Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) from June 2023 to August 2023. Clay data collected in June 2023 and October 2023.
Files and variables
File: Gutierrez_and_Putman_Ecology_and_Evolution_Clay_Data.csv
Description: Raw data: These variables describe the predation of clay models between burned and unburned habitats.
Variables
- month: July or October
- date: Date of survey
- clay_ids: Identification of clay models
- model_type: Lizard or control
- confirmed_attacked: Yes = model attacked, no = model not attacked
- missing: Yes = model missing, no = model is not missing
- attack_or_missing: Yes = model attacked or missing, no = model not attacked and not missing
- site: Location of data collection
- habitat: Burned or unburned
File: Gutierrez_and_Putman_Ecology_and_Evolution_Lizard_Data.csv
Description:
Variables
- date: Date of survey
- time_found: Military time
- site: Location of data collection
- lizard_behavior_once_disturbed: Behavior data
- perch_height: Measured area of perch from the ground in cm
- substrate_type_burned: vegetation or rock and burned or unburned
- substrate: Wood, rock, or other
- perch_burned: Yes = burned, No = unburned
- habitat_type: Burned or unburned habitat
- ambient_temp: In °C
- humidity: In %
- wind_speed: In kph
- time_to_photo: In minutes:seconds
- sec_to_photo: In total seconds
- lizard_body_temp: In °C
- successfully_caught: Yes = caught lizard, No = did not caught lizard
- latitude: In degrees (°)
- longitude: In degrees (°)
- lizard_ID: Identification of lizard
- sex: Male or Female
- svl: Snount to vent length measured in mm
- tail_length: In mm
- tail_break: In mm
- break_distance: In mm
- mass: In g
- gap_fraction: Canopy opennes in %
- percent_overlap: Between lizard and substrate in perceptual color space, representing the degree of background matching (higher values = greater matching)
- lizard_luminance: Relative measure of perceived brightness of the lizard’s dorsal surface
- substrate_luminance: Relative measure of perceived brightness of the perch substrate associated with each observation
Blank cells indicate no data available for that observation
File: Gutierrez_and_Putman_Ecology_and_Evolution.R
Description: This script examines how post-fire openness affects predation risk and the behavior and morphology of Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis). It implements mixed models with binomial distribution to analyze predation and linear mixed-effects models to assess luminance, background matching (percent overlap), and canopy openness across habitat types. Data visualization is performed using ggplot2.
Code/software
R Studio Packages:
library(lme4)
library(car)
library(emmeans)
library(DHARMa)
library(dplyr)
library(ggplot2)
library(reshape2)