Reproductive Ecology of Sceloporus utiformis (Sauria: Phrynosomatidae) from a Tropical Dry Forest of México

Ramírez‐Bautista, Aurelio; Gutiérrez-Mayén, Guadalupe

doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2003)037[0001:reosus]2.0.co;2

Cited by 24 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Notably, none of the environmental factors that we examined (temperature, precipitation, and photoperiod) were correlated with testicular activity in males from Tepeapulco, contrary to that observed in many other lizard species (Marion ; Ramírez‐Bautista et al. ; Ramírez‐Bautista and Vitt ). The unusual pattern of male reproductive activity observed in this population explains why it is not correlated with the environmental factors we considered (Fig.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 94%

Atypical reproductive cycles in a population of Sceloporus grammicus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from the Mexican Plateau

Ramírez‐Bautista

Stephenson

Lozano

et al. 2012

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The spiny lizard Sceloporus grammicus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) is a small reptile from central México and the southern United States, occurring in a wide geographic area characterized by extensive variation in topographic and climatic regimes. Genetic variation among lineages from central México is substantial, though the extent to which this variation corresponds with life-history traits remains obscure. To address part of this puzzle, we studied a population of S. grammicus from Tepeapulco, Hidalgo, México. Male-biased sexual dimorphism was extensive in this population; males were larger than females overall, and expressed proportionately larger heads and longer limbs. Minimum size at sexual maturity was similar in the sexes (males: 43 mm; females: 42 mm). In contrast to other populations from the Central Plateau, reproductive activity of males and females was synchronous. Testicular recrudescence of adult males was initiated in October–November, and maximum testis size maintained from December to July. Female reproductive activity showed no clear seasonal pattern: females had vitellogenic follicles from October to July, and pregnant females were found throughout the year. Female body size was not related to litter size. Neither male nor female gonadal mass was correlated with any abiotic environmental variable examined. Differences in reproductive characteristics among populations of S. grammicus might be indicative of plasticity in response to local environmental conditions, local adaptation, or complex gene × environment interactions. We consider these results in the context of previously studied populations of S. grammicus from the Central Plateau and elsewhere, and propose directions for future research.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 94%

Atypical reproductive cycles in a population of Sceloporus grammicus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from the Mexican Plateau

Ramírez‐Bautista

Stephenson

Lozano

et al. 2012

Ecology and Evolution

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Testis volume (TV) was determined using the formula for an ellipsoid shape: TV = 4/3 p (0.5 L) (0.5 W) 2 [21], where L = length and W = width. The right testis of each specimen was measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using Spi 2000 calipers.…”

Section: Measurements and Morphometricsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive cycle of free-living male Saharan sand vipers, Cerastes vipera (Viperidae) in the Negev desert, Israel

Sivan

Kam

Hadad

et al. 2012

General and Comparative Endocrinology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…During the breeding season, females are courted by males using push-up displays (Carpenter, 1962(Carpenter, , 1978. In this study we detected seasonal shifts in the frequency of these social displays in both S. melanorhinus and S. utiformis, with displays in general being higher during the rainy season when breeding takes place at the CCBR (Ramírez-Bautista and Gutierrez-Mayén, 2003 ;Ramírez-Bautista et al, 2006 ). Similar to other lizard species in the study area, courtship and territorial behavior begin at the end of the dry season for both species of Sceloporus, with mating and copulation occurring at the start of the rainy season (Lister and García, 1992;Ramírez-Bautista, 1995Vitt, 1997 , 1998 ;Ramirez-Bautista et al, 2000 ).…”

Section: Social Behaviormentioning

confidence: 66%

“…During the rainy season, activity levels in these species probably increased as a result of the higher food (insects) resource availability in Chamela (e.g. Lister and García, 1992) and the onset of the breeding season of both species (Ramírez-Bautista and Gutierrez-Mayén, 2003 ;Ramírez-Bautista et al, 2006 ), as suggested for A. nebulosus in Chamela (Lister and García, 1992) or Gonatodes humeralis in Brazil (Miranda and Andrade, 2003 ). In contrast, during the dry season activity declined probably due to the lack of food and breeding activity.…”

Section: Displacement Activitymentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Th e similar frequency of push-up behavior between seasons shown by S. utiformis suggests that males of this species defend territories even during the dry season. One reason for this behavior is that S. utiformis has an extended reproductive season (May to December; see Ramírez-Bautista and Gutierrez-Mayén, 2003 ;Ramírez-Bautista, 2004 ) and hence engages in social behavior longer than other species in the area. Another reason may also be that the leaf-litter contains arthropod food resources throughout the dry season, although at much lower abundances than during the rainy season (e.g.…”

Section: Social Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Behavioral responses to seasonality by two Sceloporine lizard species from a tropical dry forest

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We investigated behavioral responses of two lizards, Sceloporus melanorhinus and S. utiformis , to environmental seasonality in a tropical dry forest of western Mexico. We conducted focal observations of individuals in the fi eld during both the rainy and dry seasons and compared perch use, foraging and social behaviors and displacement activity within and between species. Our results indicate that seasonal changes occur in the behavior and activity of both male and female S. melanorhinus and S. utiformis . Feeding frequency, social displays, and distances travelled increased signifi cantly in both species during the rainy season. Th ese seasonal changes tended to be more pronounced in the arboreal species; S. melanorhinus. Surprisingly, female S. melanorhinus perched higher than males during the rainy season. Most of the observed changes are similar to the responses to seasonality observed in other lizards, both for species that exist within our study area, and for species that inhabit other seasonal environments in tropical and temperate ecosystems. Th us, the seasonal patterns in behavior documented in this study may represent a general set of behavioral strategies that allow lizards to better adapt to seasonal fl uctuations in their environment, such as changes in predation pressure, variation in resource levels, and diff erences in insolation, temperature, and moisture levels.

show abstract

Reproductive Ecology of Sceloporus utiformis (Sauria: Phrynosomatidae) from a Tropical Dry Forest of México

Cited by 24 publications

References 54 publications

Atypical reproductive cycles in a population of Sceloporus grammicus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from the Mexican Plateau

Atypical reproductive cycles in a population of Sceloporus grammicus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from the Mexican Plateau

Reproductive cycle of free-living male Saharan sand vipers, Cerastes vipera (Viperidae) in the Negev desert, Israel

Behavioral responses to seasonality by two Sceloporine lizard species from a tropical dry forest

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About