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Dryad

Data from: What need for speed? Lizards from islands missing predators sprint slower

Data files

May 10, 2023 version files 92.60 GB

Abstract

Here we test the hypothesis that island species that have evolved in predator-poor environments have reduced locomotor abilities. More than 60% of recent recorded extinctions are from islands 1, and island taxa are often susceptible to invasive predators typically because of the loss of ancestral antipredator behaviors. While locomotor abilities are critical for escaping predation, little is known on how the presence of different types of native predators influences these abilities by maintaining selective pressure. To fill this gap, we documented sprint speed in the Aegean wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii) from Aegean islands (Greece) with varying levels of predation pressure. We show that on islands where mammalian predators were present, lizards sprinted fastest. Lizards sprinted at an intermediate speed where predators other than mammals were present, and lizards sprinted slowest on islands where no predators were present. These results indicate that lizards from the lowest-predation islands are most vulnerable and preventing the introduction of invasive predators should be prioritized for these island systems.