Reproduction and diet of a population of Mabuya dorsivittata (Squamata, Scincidae) in Cordoba, Argentina

Abstract

The reproduction and diet were studied in Mabuya dorsivittata a viviparous lizard from Alto Alegre (Córdoba). The smallest female with yolking ovarian follicles measured (svl) 41 mm, and the smallest male with spermatozoa in the testes measures (svl) 31mm. The litter size was from five to ten embryos. A positive and significant correlation existed between the weight of the eggs or embryos and the reproductive state (B = 0,524, R = 0,254, P 0,001). In males there was a positive and significant correlation between the testicular volume and the reproductive state (R2 = 0,851, b= 0,929, P= 0,002). The mass of fat bodies in females and males was related with the reproductive period, especially in the females, diminishing in the final phases of embryo development, indicating a high energetic cost during the last months of embryonic growth. Regarding the diet, females fed mainly on soil Araneae as fundamental prey, Scarabeidae, Araneae (others) and Acridiidae as secondary prey, whereas males fed on Isopoda, Acridiidae and Araneae as fundamental prey and on Tettigonidae as secondary prey. There were significant differences in trophic selection among sexes.

Microhabitat use, daily activity pattern, and diet of Liolaemus etheridgei Laurent, 1998 (Reptilia: Liolaemidae) in the Andean Polylepis forests of Arequipa, Peru

“…We also noticed a sitand-wait foraging strategy, which is suitable for catching highly mobile preys (e.g., Diptera), and this aligns with the foraging behaviors observed by Pearson (1954) in Liolaemus populations from Arequipa, Peru. Therefore, we suggest that L. etheridgei is an intermediate forager with a tendency to sit-and-wait, as has previously been proposed for L. wiegmanni (Aun et al, 1999).…”

“…Even though Hemiptera does not seem to be a typical choice in the diet of Liolaemus (Halloy et al, 2006), it has been recorded as an important item in the diet of L. eleodori (Astudillo et al, 2015), L. quilmes , L. ramirezae (Halloy et al, 2006; Robles & Halloy, 2008), and L. ruibali (Villavicencio et al, 2005). Formicidae has been recorded as an important component in the diet of several Liolaemus species (Halloy et al, 2006) such as L. koslowskyi (Aun & Martori, 1998); L. wiegmannii (Martori et al, 2002); L. elongatus (Quatrini et al, 2001); L. pseudoanomalus (Kozykariski et al, 2011); L. cuyanus (Moreno Azócar & Acosta, 2011); L. irregularis , L. albiceps , L. multicolor , and L. yanalcu , (Valdecantos, 2011). However, Formicidae was avoided by L. etheridgei and seems not to be an essential prey for this lizard.…”

Activity and reproductive patterns of lizards in the Chaco of Argentina

“…Individuals identified as recaptures were excluded from analyses. In addition, individuals were classified into adult or sub-adult (juveniles and neonates) age classes, according to the shortest SVL recorded for reproductive individuals (females or males) available in the literature, as follows: Homonota fasciata (female; Phyllodactylidae): 35.0 mm (Aun and Martori 1994); Liolaemus chacoensis (male; Liolaemidae): 37.0 mm (Cruz and Ramirez Pinilla 1996); Teius teyou (female; Teiidae): 76.1 mm (Cruz et al 1999); Tropidurus etheridgei (female; Tropiduridae): 49.9 mm (Cruz 1997); Tupinambis rufescens (female; Teiidae): 330.0 mm (Fitzgerald et al 1993), Vanzosaura rubricauda (female; Gymnophtalmidae): 31.4 mm (Cruz 1994b); and Mabuya dorsivittata (male; Scincidae): 31.0 mm (Aun et al 2011). Due to the lack of studies on reproduction of the two Chaco endemic S. doellojuradoi (Tropiduridae) and L. paronae (Leiosauridae), we set an arbitrary value as the minimum value for adults, based on the bimodal distribution of size frequencies (SVL, mm).…”

Reproductive biology of a viviparous lizard (Mabuya dorsivittata) from the subtropical Wet Chaco of Argentina: geographical variations in response to local environmental pressures

“…The species Mabuya dorsivittata (Cope, 1862) is distributed across Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, occupying a variety of habitats including grasslands, forests and rocky outcrops (Cei 1993, Vrcibradic et al 2004, Aun et al 2011, Williams and Kacoliris 2011, Núñez 2012. The reproductive cycle has been studied in the espinal biome of Argentina and is characterized by a seasonal reproductive pattern (Aun et al 2011). litter sizes in southeastern Brazil were reported by Vrcibradic et al (2004), but no information exists seasonal climate conditions.…”