DOI: 10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkmbn
title: Data from: Warm nocturnal temperatures act as an ecological trap for a diurnal lizard

description: The effects of increasing nighttime temperatures remain underexplored,
 despite that nocturnal temperatures are rising at a faster rate than
 diurnal temperatures and are expected to negatively impact
 fitness-relevant physiological processes such as recovery and growth. An
 initial response to warming environments is behavioural thermoregulation,
 which enables ectotherms to rapidly adjust to changing environmental
 conditions. The behavioural responses of ectotherms to warmer diurnal
 temperatures have been well-documented; however, little is known about
 nocturnal thermoregulation. In this study, we experimentally assessed the
 impact of elevated nocturnal temperatures on retreat site selection and
 thermoregulation strategies in the diurnal common wall lizard (Podarcis
 muralis). Using semi-natural mesocosms, we exposed adult male lizards to
 two distinct nocturnal temperature treatments (control vs. a ~4°C
 increase) and recorded their body temperatures continuously over two weeks
 with wearable temperature loggers. Lizards in the warmer treatment
 selected warmer nocturnal retreats and exhibited significant
 among-individual variation in nocturnal site choice. Furthermore, there
 was no shift in selected diurnal temperatures to compensate for nocturnal
 exposure. Lizards in the warm treatment suffered reduced body conditions
 by the end of the experiment, suggesting that the behavioral response to
 warmer nocturnal temperatures does not mitigate the physiological costs.
 This study confirms the potential for nocturnal warming to create an
 ecological trap for diurnal species: lizards will select warmer
 temperatures when available at night, despite these behaviors being
 maladaptive. Our findings underscore the need for further research on the
 long-term impacts of nocturnal warming on fitness and the adaptive limits
 of plastic responses in diurnal ectotherms.
description: # Warm nocturnal temperatures act as an ecological trap for a diurnal
 lizard
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkmbn](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0gb5mkmbn) ## Description of the data and file structure Data description for data files associated with Perry et al., Publication for *Oikos*. File: Diurnal_Data.csv Provides lizard body temperatures (Tlez) during the day throughout the experiment File: Nocturnal_Data.csv Provides lizard body temperatures (Tlez) during the night throughout the experiment Provides differences between lizard body temperatures and maximum temperature in the pyramid (Delta) during the night throughout the experiment Provides "Instantaneous change in lizard body temperature (Dtb)" during the night throughout the experiment Provides "Instantaneous change in environnemental temperature (Dte)" during the night throughout the experiment File: Relocation_Data.csv Provides lizard's relocation propensity during the night (Pr) throughout the experiment File: SMI_Data.csv Provides lizard scaled mass index (Delta_SMI) during the experiment ### Files and variables #### File: Diurnal\_Data.csv **Description:** Provides lizard body temperatures and other variables during the day though the experiment  ##### Variables * Time: (Date) The exact date of each measures * Day: (numeric) The number of the day during the experiment * ID: (character) The identity of the lizard * Group: (character) The thermal treatment group of the lizard * Hour: (numeric) The hour of the different variables * Tlez: (numeric) The body temperature of the lizard (°C) * Mass: (numeric) The mass of the lizard (g) * Tank:  (character) The mesocosm number where the lizard was #### File: Nocturnal\_Data.csv **Description:** Provides lizard body temperatures and other variables during the night though the experiment  ##### Variables * Time: (Date) The exact date of each measures * Day: (numeric) The number of the day during the experiment * ID: (character) The identity of the lizard * Group: (character) The thermal treatment group of the lizard * Hour: (numeric) The hour of the different variables * Tlez: (numeric) The body temperature of the lizard (°C) * Mass: (numeric) The mass of the lizard (g) * Tank: (character) The mesocosm number where the lizard was * Delta: (numeric) The difference between lizard body temperature and maximum temperature in the pyramid (°C) * Dtb: (numeric) The change in lizard body temperature between successive hour (°C) * Dte: (numeric) The change in mean environnemental temperature between successive hour (°C) * Te.95: (numeric) The 95% threshold for the distribution of temperature changes from one hour to the next (°C) * Te.m: (numeric) The mean environnemental temperature in the pyramid (°C) #### File: Relocation\_data.csv **Description:** Provides the relocation propensity and other variables during the night though the experiment  ##### Variables * ID: (character) The identity of the lizard * Hour: (numeric) The hour of the different variables * Group: (character) The thermal treatment group of the lizard * Te.95: (numeric) The 95% threshold for the distribution of temperature changes from one hour to the next (°C) * Tb.m: (numeric) The mean body temperature of the lizard in the pyramid (°C) * Pr: (numeric) The relocation propensity between 0 and 1 #### File: SMI\_data.csv **Description:** Provides lizard scaled mass index (Delta_SMI) and other variables during the experiment ##### Variables * ID: (character) The identity of the lizard * SVL: (numeric) The body size of the lizard (Snout–vent length) (mm) * TL:  (numeric) The tail size of the lizard (mm) * Treatment: (character) The thermal treatment group of the lizard * Tank: (character) The mesocosm number where the lizard was * SMI_28.09: (numeric) The scaled mass index of the lizard at 28/09/2024 (g) * SMI_09.10: (numeric) The scaled mass index of the lizard at 09/10/2024 (g) * Delta_SMI: (numeric) The scaled mass index difference of the lizard between 28/09/2024 and 09/10/2024 (g)