Ecology and Reproduction of Anolis capito in Rain Forest of Southeastern Nicaragua

Abstract

Abstract We studied the ecology of Anolis capito in the rain forest of southeastern Nicaragua during late dry season of 1993. These cryptic anoles live low on trunks in shaded rain forest and are active throughout the day but appear to spend most of their time in shade. Body temperatures averaged 28.8 ± 0.5°C, which is 1.3°C higher than substrate temperatures and 1.7°C higher than air temperatures. Females were larger and reach sexual maturity at a larger SVL than males. Females in late dry season often contain two oviductal eggs that differed in shell condition indicating that they were not ovulated simultaneously. Females had evidence of as many as four clutches (two oviductal eggs and two different-sized enlarged vitellogenic follicles) suggesting rapid clutch production. The diet consists of a variety of invertebrates, with grasshoppers, homopterans, insect larvae, and roaches dominating volumetrically. On average, these lizards contained 1.6 ± 0.1 prey items. Prey size varied with lizard size, but no...