Shuyi LUO,Yujie YANG,Chunsheng YANG,et al.Field Surveys Suggest Biennial Reproduction Cycle and Competition-triggered Dispersal of the Endangered Chinese Crocodile Lizard[J].Asian Herpetological Research(AHR),2022,13(3):190-197.[doi:10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.210067]
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Field Surveys Suggest Biennial Reproduction Cycle and Competition-triggered Dispersal of the Endangered Chinese Crocodile Lizard
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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

Issue:
2022 VoI.13 No.3
Page:
190-197
Research Field:
Publishing date:
2022-09-22

Info

Title:
Field Surveys Suggest Biennial Reproduction Cycle and Competition-triggered Dispersal of the Endangered Chinese Crocodile Lizard
Author(s):
Shuyi LUO1 Yujie YANG2 Chunsheng YANG1 Jun GUO1 Xudong QIN1 Haiyao CEN1 Hongxin XIE23* and Zhengjun WU4
1 Daguishan National Nature Reserve for Crocodile Lizards, Hezhou 542800, Guangxi, China
2 Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
4 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, College of Life Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541006, Guangxi, China
Keywords:
age structure demography migration population dynamic sexual maturity
PACS:
-
DOI:
10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.210067
Abstract:
The endangered Chinese crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) is a habitat specialist living in streams of mountain forests in southern China and northern Vietnam. Conservation efforts are increasing for recovering its wild populations. However, the growth, reproduction, and dispersal ability of crocodile lizards in the wild are largely unknown. We conducted field surveys of the crocodile lizard population in Daguishan National Nature Reserve, one of the largest extant wild populations of crocodile lizards, for three consecutive years in Guangxi, China. We found that crocodile lizards generally reach sexual maturity at the age of 2.5 years in the wild. Unlike most viviparous lizards, which reproduce annually, the crocodile lizard shows a biennial reproductive cycle. The number of observed juveniles and subadults fluctuated between years, whereas that of adults remained relatively stable. Non-adults had longer three-year dispersal distance than adults. Crocodile lizards showed preference for backwater pools in the stream. Competition for better resources may be the main trigger for dispersal.

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