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Title:: Geographic Variation in Clutch and Egg Size for the Lizard Phrynocephalus przewalskii (Squamata: Agamidae)

Author(s):: Yajuan WANG¹; Weihong JI²; Wei ZHAO¹; Nannan YU¹ and Naifa LIU¹^*; ¹ School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
² Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland 0745, New Zealand

Keywords:: Phrynocephalus przewalskii; reproductive parameter; geographic variation; egg size; clutch size

PACS:: -

DOI:: 10.3724/SP.J.1245.2011.00097

Abstract:: In order to tease apart proximate vs. ultimate sources of variation in reproductive strategy, studies have increasingly focused on populations rather than species as the unit of interest. The reproductive parameters of Phrynocephalus przewalskii (Agamidae) in different populations within the same phylogenetic clade were compared in this study. Female SVL, clutch size, egg volume and clutch volume varied significantly among populations. With increase in latitude, clutch size increased, while egg size decreased. Relatively fewer but larger eggs were produced with increasing of population density. Food availability had positive effects on clutch size, but no effect on egg size. Our result indicated that latitude, food availability and population density may be the proximate factors affecting the reproductive parameters of P. przewalskii.

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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

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