Evolutionarily conserved thermal biology across continents: The North American lizard Plestiodon gilberti (Scincidae) compared to Asian Plestiodon

1.The lizard genus Plestiodon (Scincidae; formerly Eumeces) is widespread in North America and Asia, but the thermal biology of only a few species has been studied.2.We measured several thermal physiological traits in Plestiodon gilberti, among the few measurements of temperature sensitivity in a North American scincid lizard.3.Critical thermal minimum (7.7 °C) and maximum (42.3 °C), preferred body temperature (31.5 °C), and optimal temperature for sprinting (34.1 °C) were very similar to published values for several Asian species of Plestiodon.4.These results suggest that thermal physiology in Plestiodon lizards may be evolutionarily conserved over large temporal and spatial scales.