The family Loricariidae with about 690 species divided into six subfamilies, is one of the world's largest fish families. Cytogenetic studies conducted in the family showed that among 90 species analyzed the diploid number ranges from 2n=38 in Ancistrus sp. to 2n=96 in Hemipsilichthys gobio Luetken, 1874. In the present study, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was employed to determine ...

Consistent individual differences within (animal personality) and across (behavioural syndrome) behaviours became well recognized during the past decade. Nevertheless, our knowledge about the evolutionary and developmental mechanisms behind the phenomena is still incomplete. Here, we explored if risk-taking and exploration were consistent and linked to different ecologically relevant traits in ...

The energy metabolism of three lizard species (Podarcis milensis, Podarcis muralis and Lacerta agilis) was investigated by means of microcalorimetry and polarography over the range of environmental temperatures between 17 and 35 °C encountered by active lizards during summer in Europe. In non-stimulated animals, the maximum and mean heat production rates were highest around 30°C for all species...

Modern sexual selection theory indicates that reproductive costs rather than the operational sex ratio predict the intensity of sexual selection. We investigated sexual selection in the polygynandrous common lizard Lacerta vivipara. This species shows male aggression, causing high mating costs for females when adult sex ratios (ASR) are male-biased. We manipulated ASR in 12 experimental populat...

Corticosterone is an important hormone of the stress response that regulates physiological processes and modifies animal behavior. While it positively acts on locomotor activity, it may negatively affect reproduction and social activity. This suggests that corticosterone may promote behaviors that increase survival at the cost of reproduction. In this study, we experimentally investigate the li...

To determine whether the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia lusitaniae is associated with lizards, we compared the prevalence and genospecies of spirochetes present in rodent- and lizard-associated ticks at a site where this spirochete frequently infects questing ticks. Whereas questing nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks were infected mainly by Borrelia afzelii, one-half of the infected adult ticks har...

Variation of the meristic characteristics pholidosis in sand lizard, Lacerta agilis, was studied both laboratory experiments and natural populations. The total phenotypic variability assessed by variation sum number scales on left right sides body (l + r), while measure developmental stability, providing insight into degree fluctuating asymmetry, or variability, difference character values − r)...

It is important to map the large-scale matter distribution in local Universe for cosmological studies, such as tracing of peculiar velocity flow, characterisation environment different astronomical objects, and precision measurements parameters. We used X-ray luminous clusters this find that about 51% groups are members superclusters which occupy only a few percent volume. In paper we provide d...