Aspidoscelis costatus costatus (Squamata, Teiidae): high elevation clutch production for a population of whiptail lizards

Abstract

Clutch size and number of clutches per reproductive cycle are important life history traits that can be influenced by anatomical, physiological, evolutionary, and ecological factors. This report on the clutch size and number of clutches of an endemic Mexican whiptail lizard, Aspidoscelis costatus costatus (Cope, 1878), is based on a study of population at an unusually high elevation for a member of this genus. The study site is located in Ixtapan de la Sal, southeastern Estado de México, Central Mexico, at 2090 m a.s.l. Lizards were sampled in June 2006, and from May to July 2007, where females of Aspidoscelis costatus costatus were collected by hand along a drift fence. Female reproductive condition was evaluated based on abdominal palpation for presence of developing eggs; clutch size was determined by actual counts of either vitellogenic follicles or oviductal eggs. The smallest reproductive female was 77 mm snout-vent length; females produced a minimum of two clutches during the breeding season, the mean clutch size of 6.5 eggs (n = 33) was one of the largest reported for the genus. However, both length and width of its eggs, and the relative clutch mass have not been diminished by development of a large clutch. Additionally, comparisons of clutch size were undertaken within the polytypic A. costatus complex, within the genus Aspidoscelis, and between certain genera of whiptail lizards. This apparently represents the first study of whiptail lizards (genus Aspidoscelis), assessing the aforementioned reproductive characteristics, in a population above 2000 m.

Lizard species on three islands off the Mexican Pacific Coast: effects of insularity

“…org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2023.94.4068 cover that also differs among sites (Conanp, 2008;De Frenne et al, 2013); however, the basking behavior of both species was not affected by such microclimate differences. A plausible explanation is that lizards of this genus are recognized as heliothermic and active foragers, which means a frequent movement between shaded and sunny places while searching for prey (Díaz de la Vega-Perez et al, 2013;Granados-González et al, 2020). This habit clearly could homogenize the basking behavior of A. communis and A. lineattissima among the islands and the mainland and could also be an advantage that allows them to thrive on the study islands.…”

Variación del estadio embrionario de Basiliscus vittatus (Squamata: Corytophanidae) en la oviposición

“…Muchos aspectos que integran la biología de las lagartijas se enfocan en partes del ciclo de vida que contemplan estadios postoviposición como la ecología o características de historia de vida (Andrews et al, 2017;Granados-González et al, 2020;Woolrich-Piña et al, 2020). El desarrollo embrionario es un proceso que inicia con la fecundación y finaliza con el nacimiento (Andrews, 2002).…”