A Form of Maternal Care?

It is well known that most lizards do not provide maternal care to their young. The striped plateau lizard, Sceloporus virgatus, is no exception. Right at the start of the summer monsoon season when the rain has softened the ground, the females burry their eggs and the scurry off.

Although there is no active maternal care once the eggs are laid, Bunker & Weiss (s/o Stacey!!) add to the existing literature that reinforces the importance of maternal reproductive microbiome from mother to egg in lizards. This transfer is crucial to offspring development and their health over time.

The microbiome is the community of microorganisms eg as fungi, bacteria and viruses that exists in a particular environment like skin or intestinal tract. If you think about humans, it’s important we have a healthy microbiome in our intestinal tract to support digestion, the immune system, brain function, and metabolism.

Can you #FindThatLizard?

Let me know below in the comments with #FoundThatLizard!!