Rodriguez, Francisco Xavier
Gienger, C. M.
Department of Biology
Center of Excellence in Field Biology
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee, USA
Gentry, Christopher
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee, USA
Gehman, Carson
Department of Biology
Center of Excellence in Field Biology
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee, USA
Species Distribution models (SDMs) are a valuable tool in understanding the determinants of a species’ geographic range. distributions of sister species in close proximity, may have overlap, which could cause interactions between these species. For this project, we compiled Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) presence data for Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) and Mexican beaded lizards (Heloderma horridum), whose ranges border each other in the southern Sonora, Mexico. Species distribution models were created using Maxent with elevation, vegetation type, vegetative cover, and vegetation density used as the main predictors. We found that both species had distinct predicted areas of occurrence in southern Sonora, and a small narrow band of overlap between species distributions was predicted at middle elevations where Sonoran Desert Scrub communities begin to transition to Tropical Deciduous Forest.