The Study on the Relationships Between the Age Structure and Body Size of the Bridled Skink, Heremites vittatus, (Oliver, 1804) from Different Altitudes in Turkey

Year 2021, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 906 - 915, 01.06.2021

Elif Yıldırım , Yusuf Kumlutaş , Kamil Candan , Çetin Ilgaz

https://doi.org/10.21597/jist.796001

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Age structure and body size of Heremites vittatus from three different altitudes (group I: 0-499 m, group II: 500-999 m, and group III: above 1000 m) were investigated using skeletochronology. The mean snout-vent length (SVL) of females in all groups was larger than males. The average SVL was 74.8 mm in females and 66.8 mm in males. Age ranged from three to seven years in females and two to seven years in males. No significant differences were found in mean age between sexes (Mann-Whitney U-test, p=0.324). Among three groups, there was no significant difference between the populations as regards both age and SVL. However, SVL only in groups I and II were statistically significant between sexes. Moreover, there was no significant correlation between age and SVL. The Von Bertalanffy’s model indicated that females had a larger asymptotic body size than males and that there was a significant difference between the sexes in terms of growth rate.

Keywords

Skeletochronology, altitude, Heremites vittatus, Turkey

Supporting Institution

Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi

Project Number

2017.KB.FEN.023

Thanks

This work was supported by Dokuz Eylul University Scientific Research Coordination Unit. Project Number: 2017.KB.FEN.023

References

• Altunışık A, Gül Ç, Özdemir N, Tosunoğlu M, Ergül T, 2013. Age structure and body size of the Strauch’s racerunner, Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler, 1878. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 37:539 – 543.
• Altunışık A, Kalaycı TE, Uysal İ, Tosunoğlu M, Özdemir N, 2016. Age, adult survival rate and adult life expectancy of a Podarcis tauricus population (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from Saros Bay, Turkey. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 23(4):278-282.
• Altunışık A, Eksilmez H, 2018. Demographic life-history traits in a population of a critically endangered species, Darevskia dryada (Darevsky & Tuniyev, 1997). Animal Biology, 0:1-11.
• Arakelyan M, Petrosayan R, Ilgaz Ç, Kumlutas Y, Durmus SH, Tayhan Y, Danielyan F, 2013. A skeletochronological study of parthenogenetic lizards of genus Darevskia from Turkey. Acta Herpetoogica, 8(2):99- 104.
• Baran İ, Ilgaz Ç, Avcı A, Kumlutaş Y, Olgun K (2012) Türkiye am- fibi ve sürüngenleri. TÜBİTAK Popüler Bilim Kitapları, Ankara. [In Turkish]
• Bauer AM, 2003. On the identity of Lacerta punctata Linnaeus 1758, the type species of the genus Euprepis Wagler 1830, and the generic assignment of Afro- Malagasy skinks. African Journal of Herpetology, 52:1–7.
• Blanckenhorn WU, 2000. Temperature effects on egg size and their fitness consequences in the yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria. Evolutionary Ecology, 14:627–643
• Bülbül U, Kurnaz M, Eroglu AI, Koç H, Kutrup B, 2016a. Age and growth of the red-belied lizard, Darevskia parvula. Animal Biology, 66:81-95.
• Bülbül U, Kurnaz M, Eroğlu Aİ, Koç H, Kutrup B, 2016b. Body size anda ge structure of the endangered Clark’s lizard (Darevskia clarkorum) populations from two different altitudes in Turkey. Amphibia-Reptilia, 37(4):450-456.
• Cabezas-Cartes F, Boretto JM, Ibargüengoytía NR, 2015. Age, growth and life-history parameters of an endemic vulnerable lizard from Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Herpetology, 25: 215-224.
• Dubey S, Sinsch U, Dehling MJ, Chevalley M, Shine R, 2013. Population demography of an endangered lizard, the Blue Mountains Water Skink, BMC Ecology, 13(1):4.
• Endler JA, 1992. Geographic variation, speciation, and clines. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
• Eroğlu AI, Bülbül U, Kurnaz M, 2017. Age structure and growth in a Turkish population of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1810) (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 69:209-214.
• Eroğlu Aİ, Bülbül U, Kurnaz M, Odabaşı Y, 2018. Age and growth of the common Wall lizard, Podarcis muralis (Laurenti, 1768), Animal Biology, 0:1-13.
• Grimm A, Ramirez AMP, Moulherat S, Reynaud J, Henle K, 2014. Life-history trait database of European reptile species. Nature Conservation, 9:45 – 67.
• Guarino FM, Gia ID, Sindaco R, 2010. Age and growth of the sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) from a high Alpine population of north-western Italy. Acta Herpetol, 5:23-29.
• Güçlü S, Candan K, Lankiliç T, Kumlutaş Y, Durmuş SH, Poulakakis N, Ilgaz Ç, 2014. Phylogeny of Trachylepis sp. (Reptilia) from Turkey infferred from mtDNA sequences. Mitochondria DNA, 25(6):456-463.
• Gül S, Özdemir N, Kumlutaş Y, Ilgaz Ç, 2014. Age structure and body size in three populations of Darevskia rudis (Bedriaga, 1886) from different altitudes. Herpetozoa, 26:151 – 158.
• Gül S, Özdemir N, Avcı A, Kumlutaş Y, Ilgaz Ç, 2015a. Altitudinal effects on the life history of the Anatolian lizard (Apathya cappadocica, Werner 1902) from southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39:507 – 512.
• Gül S, Özdemir N, Kumlutas Y, Durmus SH, Ilgaz Ç, 2015b. Age structure and body size variation in populations of Darevskia bithynica (Méhely, 1909) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) from different altitudes in Northwestern Turkey. Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 67(4):487-491.
• James CD, 1991. Growth rates and ages at maturity of sympatric scincid lizards (Ctenotus) in central Australia. Journal of Herpetology, 25:284-295.
• Kalaycı TE, Altunışık A, Uysal İ, Tosunoğlu M, Özdemir N, 2018. Age determination of Heremites vittatus (Bridled Skink) (Oliver, 1804) using skeletochronology in Sivas population, Turkey. Biological Diversity and Conservation, 11(2):1-6.
• Kanat B, Tok V, 2015. Age structure of Hemidatctylus turcicus (L., 1758) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from southwestern Anatolis (Muğla, Turkey). Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39:373-377.
• Karin BR, Metallinou M, Weinell JL, Jackman TR, Bauer AM, 2016. Resolving the higher-order phylogenetic relationships of the circumtropical Mabuya group (Squamata: Scincidae): an out-of-Asia diversification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 102:220–232.
• Karl I, Fischer K, 2009. Altitudinal and environmental variation in lifespan in Copper butterly Lycaena tityrus. Functional Ecology, 23:1132–1138
• Kim JK, Song JY, Lee JH, Park D, 2010. Physical characteristics and age structure of Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus; Larcertidae; Reptilia). Journal of Ecology Field Biology, 33: 325-331.
• Kolarov TN, Vljevic LK, Polovic LDG, Kalezic ML, 2010. The body size, age structure and growth pattern of the endemic Balkan mosor rock lizard (Dinolacerta mosorensis kolombatovich, 1886). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hunggaricae, 56:55-71.
• Kumlutaş Y, Candan K, Ilgaz Ç, 2015. A new locality record of Trachylepis vittata (Oliver, 1804) (Reptilia: Scincidae) in Nortyheastern Anatolia, Turkey. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 22(4):310-314.
• Kurnaz M, Eroğlu Aİ, Bülbül U, Koç H, Kutrup B, 2017. The life-history traits in a breeding population of Darevskia valentini from Turkey. Acta Herpetologica, 12(2): 167-173.
• Lovich E, Gibbons JW, 1992. A review of techniques for quantifying sexual size dimorphism. Growth Dev Aging, 56:269-281.
• Mausfeld P, Vences M, Schmitz A, Veith M, 2000. First data on the molecular phylogeography of scincid lizards of the genus Mabuya. Molecular Phylogenetic Evolution, 17:11–14.
• Mausfeld P, Schmitz A, Böhme W, Misof B, Vrcibradic D, Rocha CFD, 2002. Phylogenetic affinities of Mabuya atlantica Schmidt, 1945, endemic to the Atlantic ocean archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil): necessity of partitioning the genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 (Scincidae: Lygosominae). Zool. Anz. 241:281–293.
• Nagy L, Grabherr H, 2009. The Biology of Alpine Habitats. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Mermer A, Kumaş M, Mutlu HS, Çiçek K, 2020. Age structure of a population of Chalcides ocellatus (Forskal, 1775) (Sauria: Scincidae) in Mediterranean Anatolia. Zoology in the Middle East, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09397140.2020.1781362.
• Orlova VF, Smirina EM, 1983. Age determination of Lacerta derjugini Nik. in natural populations. Biologicheskie Nauki, 9:53-57.
• Olsson M, Shine R, 1996. Does reproductive success increase with age or with size in species with indeterminate growth? A case study using sand lizards (Lacerta agilis). Oecologia, 05:175–178.
• Olsson M, Madsen T, 1998. Sexual selection and sperm competition in reptiles. In: Sperm Competition and Sexual Selection (T. R. Birkhead & A. P. Møller, eds), pp. 503–578. Academic Press, London.
• Özdemir N, Altunışık A, Ergül T, Gül S, Tosunoğlu M, Cadeddu G, Giacoma C, 2012. Variation in body size and age structure among three Turkish populations of the treefrog Hyla arborea. Amphibia-Reptilia, 33:25–35.
• Raia P, Guarino FM, Turano M, Polese G, Rippa D, Carotenuto F, Monti DM, Cardi M, Fulgione D, 2010. The blue lizard spandrel and the island syndrome. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 10:289.
• Rastegar-Pouyani, N., Fattahi, R., & Gholamifard, A. (2013). Cranial osteology of the Bridled Shink, Trachylepis vittata (Oliver, 1804) and its comparison with Trachylepis aurata transcaucasica (Chernov, 1926) (Sauria: Scincidae). Russian Journal of Herpetology. 20(4): 276-286.
• Rastegar-Pouyani, N, Fattahi R, 2015. Sexual dimorphism in Trachylepis vittata (Olivier, 1804) (Sauria: Scincidae) in the Zagros Mountains, western Iran. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39:59-65
• Rohr DH, 1997. Demographic and life-history variation in two proximate populations of a viviparous skink separated by a steep altitudinal gradient. Journal of Animal Ecology, 66:567-578.
• Roitberg ES, Smirina EM, 2006a. Adult body length and sexual size dimorphism in Lacerta agilis boemica (Reptilia, Lacertidae): between-year and interlocality variation. In: Corti C, Lo Cascio P, Biaggini M, editors. Mainland and Insular Lacertid Lizards: A Mediterranean Perspective. Florence, Italy: Firenze University Press, pp. 175–187.
• Roitberg ES, Smirina EM, 2006b. Age, body size, and growth of Lacerta agilis boemica and L. agilis strigata: a comparative study of two closely related lizard species based on skeletochronology. Journal of Herpetology, 16:133–148.
• Roitberg ES, 2007. Variation in sexual size dimorphism within a widespread lizard species, Pp. 143 – 217. In: Faırbaırn, D.J., Black enhorn, W.U. & Szekely, T. (Eds.): Sex, Size, and Gender Roles: Evolutionary Studies of Sexual Size Dimorphism. Oxford Unıversıty Press, New York, USA, 280 pp.
• Sears MW, 2005. Geographic variation in the life history of the sagebrush lizard: the role of thermal constraints on activity. Oecologia, 143:25–36.
• Tomaševiæ K, Ljubisavljeviæ K, Poloviæ L, Dukiæ G, Kaleziæ ML, 2010. The body size, age structure and growth pattern of the endemic Balkan mosor rock lizard (Dinarolacerta mosorensis Kolombatoviæ, 1886). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hunggaricae, 56:55 – 71.
• Üzüm N, Avcı A, Kumlutas Y, Beser N, Ilgaz Ç, 2015. The first record of age structure and body size of the Suphan Racerunner, Eremias suphani Basoglu & Hellmich, 1968. Turkish Journal of Zoolgy, 39:513-518.
• Üzüm N, Ilgaz Ç, Avcı A, Candan K, Güler H, Kumlutaş Y, 2018. Comparison of the body size anda ge structure of Lebanon Lizard, Phoenicolacerta laevis (Gray, 1838) at different altitudes in Turkey. Vertebrate Zoology, 68(1):83-90.
• Wapstra E, Swan R, O’Reilly JM, 2001. Geographic variation in age and size at maturity in a small Australian viviparous skink. Copeia, 2001:646-655.
• Whiting AS, Sites JW, Pellegrino KCM, Rodrigues MT, 2006. Comparing alignment methods for inferring the history of the new world lizard genus Mabuya (Squamata: Scincidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 38:719–730.
• Yakın BY, Tok CV, 2015. Age estimation of Anatololacerta anatolica (Werner, 1902) in the vicinity of Çanakkale, by skeletochronology. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 39:66 – 73.
• Yamahira K, Conover DO, 2002. Intra- vs. interspecific latitudinal variation in growth: adaptation to temperature or seasonality? Ecology, 83:1252–1262
• Žagar A, Osojnik N, Carretero MA, Vrezek A, 2012. Quantifying the intersexual and interspecific morphometric variation in two resembling sympatric lacertids: Iberolacerta horvathi and Podarcis muralis. Acta Herpetologica, 7:29 – 39.