Information about the variation of biological attributes in species whose distribution covers more than one biome contributes to understanding phenotype variation in different environments. Herein, we evaluated how ecological aspects of the lizard Gonatodes humeralis vary between rainforest populations (Amazon domain) and a recently registered population in a coastal forest influenced by semiarid climate (Caatinga domain). We investigated body size, temperature, activity period, microhabitat use and diet of this species, testing the hypothesis that, compared to Amazonian populations, the Caatinga population would present a reduced body size, shortened activity period, exploration of a greater variety of microhabitats and a more diverse diet. In fact, we corroborated the predictions with respect to body size and diet. On the other hand, we observed a more conservative activity period and greater specialization in the use of microhabitats in the Caatinga population. Our findings contribute to understanding the variation in biological attributes between populations of species with wide distributions and reveal adjustments conducted by biotic and abiotic factors in different morphological, ecological and behavioral traits.

有关分布超过一个生物群落的物种的生物学特性变化的信息有助于理解不同环境中的表型变化。在这里，我们评估了蜥蜴Gonatodes humeralis的生态方面雨林人口（亚马逊地区）和受半干旱气候影响的沿海森林中最近登记的人口（卡廷加地区）之间存在差异。我们调查了该物种的体型，温度，活动时间，微生境的使用和饮食，检验了以下假设：与亚马逊河种群相比，Caatinga种群的体型减小，活动时间缩短，探索了更多种类的微生境和更多样化的饮食。实际上，我们证实了有关体型和饮食的预测。另一方面，我们观察到在Caatinga人群中，活动期更为保守，并且在使用微生境方面更加专业化。