Age structure and growth in a Turkish population of the Crimean Wall Lizard, Podarcis tauricus (PALLAS, 1814) (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae)

Eroglu A. I., BÜLBÜL U., Kurnaz M.

HERPETOZOA, cilt.29, sa.3-4, ss.125-133, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 29 Sayı: 3-4
  • Basım Tarihi: 2017
  • Dergi Adı: HERPETOZOA
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.125-133
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Reptilia: Squamata: Sauria, Lacertidae, Podarcis tauricus, skeletochronology, LAGS, Lines of Arrested Growth, von Bertalanffy's growth model, age structure, growth, longevity, body size, population ecology, Turkey, BODY-SIZE, GEOGRAPHIC-VARIATION, SEXUAL-DIMORPHISM, FROG, DAREVSKIA, MATURITY, AGILIS, RACERUNNER, BUFO
  • Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Life-history traits of a Turkish population of Podarcis tauricus (PALLAS, 1814) were studied using the methods of skeletochronology. In the adult sample (20 males and 20 females from the population of the village of Sergen), the age ranged from 4-10 ((X) over bar = 6.68) years for both sexes collectively, 5-10 ((X) over bar = 7.2) years in males, 4-10 ((X) over bar = 6.15) years in females and differed significantly between sexes. Derived from the LAG (Lines of Arrested Growth) configuration, the age at sexual maturity was 2-3 years in both males and females. There was a positive correlation between the lizards' body size (SVL) and number of LAGs counted in the toe bones. Sexual size dimorphism was weakly expressed by the slightly bigger snout-vent-length of the males (SDI = -0.005). The growth coefficient (k) was lower in males than in females (k +/- Confidence Interval; males: 0.37 +/- 0.16; females: 0.67 +/- 0.22). There was no difference in growth rate between sexes.