Ecology of Sceloporus magister at the Nevada test site, Nye County, Nevada

Abstract

The natural history of Sceloporus magister was studied in popu lations at tlie Nevada Test Site, Mercury. Individuals were marked and kep under surveillance from 1965 through 1970. Reproductive cycles were examine by field observation and by autopsy. Hatchlings appear in the population in Jul; and August. Growth is rapid for the first year. Sexual maturity is reached befor the second hibernation or soon after emergence from it. Territoriality is a pre nounced behaviorism; individuals have been observed to remain in a small are for several years. Food consists of arthropods, with ants the predominant iterr Reproduction occurs during May and/or June with only one clutch per yeai Density is variable and depends on the appropriateness of the habitat.GREAT BASIN NATURALIST Vol. 33, No.the Nevada test site, Nye County, Nevada." The Great Basin naturalist 33, 133-146.

Sexual size differences in the genus Sceloporus

“…A combination of innate physiological traits and environ- The late maturing species include those of Group III, Subgroup E, torquatus, cyanogenys (Crisp, 1964), poinsetti (Ballinger, 1973) and by inference their near relatives butteri, insignis and mucronatus; graciosus (Mueller and Moore, 1969;Tinkle, 1973), m agister (Tanner and Krogh, 1973;Tinkle, 1976), orcutti (Mayhew, 1963, occidentalis, clar\i and undulatus, subspecies elongatus tristichus and erythrocheilus (Fitch, 1970) (1.12 times male length). Most other species that have been subjects of intensive field studies, including several of the subspecies of undulatus (Crenshaw, 1955;Tinkle, 1972;Tinkle and Ballmger, 1972), occidentalis (Fitch, 1940;Tanner and Hopkin, 1972), graciosus (Tinkle, 1973;Tanner and Krogh, 1973;Mueller and Moore, 1969), virgatus (Vinegar 1975), andwoodi (Jackson andTelford, 1974) are also among those with relatively large females, and available information suggests that, in general, their ecology and social systems are similar to those of olivaceus. There are no comparable studies of the species with relatively large males.…”

“…Thirty such series, from 1,973 specimens, were obtained from the collections in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. Measurements were available for 14 other series from published literature: Blair, 196(1;Burkholder and Tanner, 1974;Cole, 1963;Crenshaw, 1955;Jackson and Telford, 1974;Mayhew, 1963;Mueller and Moore, 1969;Newlin, 1976;Parker and Pianka, 1973;Tanner and Krogh, 1973;Tinkle, 1973 andand Webb, 1967. Five series of specimens were examined in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California collection, and four series of measurements were obtained in the course of my field studies in Kansas, Oklahoma and Costa Rica.…”

Opportunistic feeding in Sceloporus horridus from Jalisco, Mexico

“…horridus was an opportunistic feeder, primarily on the large numbers of winged termites which became active and thus available to the lizards immediately after the rain. Opportunistic feeding in Sceloporus has been noted by Tanner and Krogh (1973) in S. magister, Tanner and Hopkin (1972) in 5. occidentalis longipes, Burkholder and Tanner (1974) in S. g. graciosus, Johnson (1965) in S. o. occidentalis, andToliver andJennings (1975) in 5. undulatus tristichus.…”

“…The staple food for many Sceloporus is H}TTienoptera as this taxon was found to rank high in percent frequency or numbers and /or percent volume in the following species: S. g. graciosus (Pack 1921; Knowlton and.lanes 1932, 1933;Knowlton 1934;Knowlton and Thomas 1934;Knowlton, Maddock, and Wood 1946;Knowlton 1953; Burkholden and Tanner 1974); S. g. gracilis (Stebbins and Robinson 1946); S. magister (Knowlton 1934;Knowlton and Thomas 1934;Johnson 1966;Parker and Pianka 1973;Tanner and Krogh 1973); 5. occidentalis (Johnson 1965;Tanner and Hopkin 1972;Clark 1973); S. olivaceus (Kennedy 1956); S. poinsetti (Knowlton 1948;Smith and Milstead 1971); 5. torquatus (Stanton and Conzelmann 1975); and 5. undulatus (Burt 1928;Knowlton 1934;Knowlton and Thomas 1934;Dixon and Medica 1966;Johnson 1966;Toliver and Jennings 1975). In many of the above studies Coleoptera ranked second in importance.…”

Special Nevada report

“…Ecological studies at the NTS have examined population dynamics, movement, and dispersal of various rodents (Sources: Allred and Beck, 1962;French et al, 1966;Jorgensen, 1963;Maza et al, 1973;Mullen, 1970;Rowland and Turner, 1964), lizards (Sources: Allredpd Beck, 1962;Jorgensen and Tanner, 1963;Tanner and Krogh, 1973), and many invertebrates (Source: Allred and Beck, 1962;1967).…”