Abstract
Clutch size (CS) and relative clutch mass (RCM) are considered important features in life history descriptions of species within Squamata. Variations in these two characteristics are caused by both biotic and abiotic factors. The present study provides the first account related to CS and RCM ofBasiliscus vittatusin Mexico within a population that inhabits an open riverbed juxtapositioned to tropical rainforest habitat in Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico (170 m a.s.l.). Twenty-nine gravid females were collected and kept in captivity under favorable conditions that promote oviposition. The CS within this population was 6.2 ± 0.2 and was correlated positively with snout vent-length (SVL); while the RCM was 0.17 ± 0.006 and was correlated positively with both CS and width of egg. Factors, such as female morphology and environmental conditions, should influence these reproductive traits inB. vittatus. The data collected in this study could provide a framework for comparisons of the life history traits across populations ofB. vittatusin Mexico and within other species of the family Corytophanidae and provide a model for testing how abiotic and biotic factors may influence the CS and RCM in basilisk lizards throughout their range.
Highlights
Reptiles vary in terms of reproductive output, such as the clutch size (CS), egg dimensions, time that reproduction occurs during their lifespan, age, and relative clutch mass (RCM)
The mean clutch size of B. vittatus in this study is 6.2 eggs, which is within the known range for this species, for the genus, and for the family Corytophanidae (Table 3)
In squamates clutch size varies between congeners distributed in regions with different requirements (Hamilton et al 2008), it is affected by strategies of reproduction within populations
Summary
Reptiles vary in terms of reproductive output, such as the clutch size (CS), egg dimensions, time that reproduction occurs during their lifespan, age, and relative clutch mass (RCM). In many species of reptiles, these life history traits show complex relationships to both female body size (Radder and Shanbhag 2003) and intra- and inter-population variation (Castilla and Bauwens 2000; Kiefer et al 2008). When these parameters are determined, information is provided on reproductive strategies that are utilized by different populations of a single species. The study of life history traits may increase our understanding of how individuals of each species interact with the environment and the environment’s role in reproductive output
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