Abstract

LARA-RESENDIZ, Rafael A.; DIAZ DE LA VEGA-PEREZ, Aníbal H.; JIMENEZ-ARCOS, Víctor H.  and  MENDEZ-DE LA CRUZ, Fausto R.. Thermal and morphological aspects of the Aspidoscelis costata nest in Guerrero, México. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2013, vol.84, n.2, pp.701-704. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.31045.

For the first time, the morphological and thermal traits of the nests of the Aspidoscelis costata lizard are described in this study. All nests (n= 23) were found under rocks, which were exposed directly to the sunlight. The rocks measured (Mean±1SE) 65.8±3.6 cm in length, 43.7±2 cm in width, and 28.7±3.2 cm in height. The general shape of the nest was elliptical and measured 6.1±0.5 cm in length, 4.4±0.4 cm in width, and 2.4±2.4 cm in height, while the depth of the chamber was 5.98±0.6 cm. There was 1.7±0.3 nests per rock, 6.3±0.5 eggs per nest, and the eggs measured 1.5±0.02 cm in length, 1.1±0.04 cm in width, and weighed 0.92±0.08 g. The mean temperature inside the nest was 28.4±0.2° C and ranged from 21.1° C to 38.5° C. Nesting occurred during the rainy season (June to September), which dampen the ambient temperature for the embryonic development of the Aspidoscelis costata lizard.

Keywords : nesting; lizard; incubation regime; reproduction; clutch size; Teiidae; nest temperature.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )