Abstract
Lines of arrested growth (LAGs) were assessed in the Golestan Province population of the critically - endangered museum specimens of Persian mountain salamander, Paradactylodon gorganensis (Clergue-Gazeau and Thorn, 1979) from Northeastern Iran using skeletochronology. LAGs were clearly discernable in the tibia and femur bone cross-sections and could be interpreted for age determination. The number of LAGs in the sampled Golestan Province population (n=29)was found to be 8-11 (9.75 1.13 years) in males (n=12), 7-13 (9.26 1.98 years) in females (n=15) and 7 and 8 (7.50 0.70 years) in two unknown sex specimens for the first time.The snout-vent length (SVL) was 90.20 - 119.38 (103.85 10.48) mm in males, 77.60 - 135.00 (105.96 15.89) in females and 108.00 and 123.00 mm in unknown sex specimens. It was not found significant correlation between body size and age (P > 0.05). Although limited in sample size, the data suggest that males with ages over eleven years are absent in the fixed specimens studied. Our study showed that skeletochronological method can be successfully applied to Iranian P. gorganensis based on the clear arrest of growth in the hibernation period, as previously observed in other species in subtropical regions.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
