Sexual Dimorphism and Feeding Ecology of the Black-bellied Bunchgrass Lizard Sceloporus aeneus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) in Central Mexico

Pub Date : 2020-12-31 DOI:10.2994/SAJH-D-18-00056.1
Raciel Cruz‐Elizalde, A. Ramírez‐Bautista, F. F. Núñez de Cáceres-González
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引用次数: 4

Abstract

Abstract. Morphology and resource use have a significant influence on lizard population dynamics. In this study, sexual dimorphism and feeding ecology were assessed in a population of Sceloporus aeneus from central Mexico. Sexual dimorphism was recorded, with males being larger than females in several morphological characteristics, such as jaw width, femur length, tibia length, and forearm length, but not snout–vent length (SVL) or jaw length, which were similar in both sexes. The stomach contents analysis indicated an insectivorous diet composed of 11 prey categories, of which females consumed 11 and males consumed 9. Low values of feeding niche breadth were found, as well as high overlap between sexes and seasons. For the whole population, adult preys of the family Formicidae and orders Coleoptera and Hemiptera showed the highest values of food importance and abundance. A higher volume of stomach contents was recorded during the dry season than the wet season in both females and males. Results showed a pattern of sexual dimorphism similar to that of other species of the genus Sceloporus, but different from those of other populations of the same species. Morphological variation in jaw length and width seems to be related to food resources use because, in spite of the high similarity in the diet between sexes, the volume of stomach contents was not correlated with SVL in females. These findings suggest a constant consumption of food that is subsequently invested in reproduction. Further studies analyzing morphology and diet and their effect on reproductive characteristics such as clutch size, eggs mass, and volume are needed among populations of this species. The results obtained in this research could help explain the differences and similarities previously reported on the morphology and reproductive characteristics for S. aeneus and other species of the S. scalaris group.
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墨西哥中部黑腹Bunchgrass蜥蜴Sceloporus aeneus(Squamata:Phynosomatidae)的两性异形和食性生态学
摘要形态和资源利用对蜥蜴种群动态有重要影响。在这项研究中,评估了墨西哥中部的埃涅斯Sceloporus aeneus种群的两性异形和觅食生态学。两性异形被记录在案,雄性在一些形态特征上比雌性大,如颌骨宽度、股骨长度、胫骨长度和前臂长度,但没有吻-口长度(SVL)或颌骨长度,这在两性中是相似的。胃内容物分析表明,食虫性饮食由11种猎物组成,其中雌性吃掉11种,雄性吃掉9种。觅食生态位宽度值较低,性别和季节之间的重叠程度较高。在整个种群中,蚁科、鞘翅目和半翅目的成年猎物表现出最高的食物重要性和丰度。雌性和雄性在旱季的胃内容物量都高于雨季。结果表明,其两性异形模式与Sceloporus属其他物种相似,但与同一物种的其他种群不同。颌骨长度和宽度的形态学变化似乎与食物资源的使用有关,因为尽管性别之间的饮食高度相似,但女性的胃内容物体积与SVL无关。这些发现表明,人们会不断地消耗食物,然后投入到繁殖中。需要进一步研究该物种种群的形态和饮食及其对繁殖特征的影响,如离合器大小、卵子质量和体积。这项研究的结果有助于解释先前报道的石首鱼和阶跃石首鱼群其他物种在形态和繁殖特征方面的差异和相似之处。
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