Microhabitat-scale thermal determinants of body temperature in Anatololacerta anatolica from Mount Spil, Western Anatolia

Lizards, as ectothermic organisms, are largely dependent on the thermal characteristics of their habitats for the maintenance of their biological processes. This research aims to quantitatively elucidate the correlation between the body temperature (T b ) of the Anatololacerta anatolica population on Mount Spil (Manisa), Western Anatolia, and core environmental variables at the microhabitat level, including surface temperature (T s ), air temperature (T a ), solar radiation, and wind speed. Field surveys were conducted between April and October 2025, during which cloacal body temperature data obtained from 89 individuals were analyzed alongside simultaneous microhabitat parameters. Descriptive statistical data confirmed that the species is an active thermoregulator, as the mean body temperature of the lizards (32.32 ± 4.53 °C) was found to be statistically significantly higher than both the surface temperature (30.6 ± 6.97 °C) and the air temperature (28.1 ± 4.04 °C). Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that T s and solar radiation are the strongest positive predictors of T b . Principal component analysis (PCA) results, explaining approximately 76% of the total variance, determined that T b , T s , and solar radiation clustered on the primary axis (PC1), while wind speed was situated on an independent axis (PC2) that is statistically decoupled from this radiative thermal system. The findings indicate that A. anatolica adopts a strategy integrating both solar radiation and thermal substrates, specifically heliothermy and thigmothermy, during the process of heat acquisition. It was observed that the species suppresses the convective cooling effect of wind through strategic microhabitat preferences, such as utilizing rock crevices and the base of vegetation, thereby exhibiting the Bogert effect to stabilize its thermal safety margins. Consequently, within the framework of climate change scenarios, it is essential to prioritize microhabitat-scale thermal heterogeneity and the continuity of thermal refugia over macroclimatic averages when evaluating the thermal sensitivity of the species.