Variation of reproductive traits in a population of the lizard Lacerta vivipara

Abstract

Variation in reproductive traits (sexual maturity, clutch size, clutch weight, mean egg mass, newborn weight) was studied during a four year period in a population of the live‐bearing lizard Lacerta vivipara. Sexual maturity was associated with attaining a minimum body size. Clutch size increased with female body length and litter weight increased with clutch size. A major component of the within year variation in these reproductive traits was attributable to female size. Analysis of successive clutches in individual females indicated that a significant fraction of the variation in litter size, adjusted for female length, was due to consistent differences between individuals. Newborn weight varied within and among litters, but no relations between hatchling mass or mean egg mass in a litter and other traits were detected.Size‐adjusted reproductive performances remained constant during the course of this study, even though environmental conditions (weather factors, food availability) varied annually. Observed among year variations in reproductive characteristics were attributable to differences in the body size distributions of the adult females.