Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Reproductive Cycle in a Pyrenean Oviparous Population of the Common Lizard (Zootoca Vi Vipara)

Reproductive Cycle in a Pyrenean Oviparous Population of the Common Lizard (Zootoca Vi Vipara) REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE IN A PYRENEAN OVIPAROUS POPULATION OF THE COMMON LIZARD (ZOOTOCA VI VIPARA) by JUAN MANUEL ROIG, MIGUEL ANGEL CARRETERO and GUSTAVO ADOLFO LLORENTE * (Department de Biologia Animal (Vertebrats), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona) ABSTRACT High altitude reptiles inhabit adverse environments that condition their reproductive biology. The reproductive and fat body cycles of a high altitude oviparous population of the Common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) in the central Pyrenees were analysed and compared with data on other oviparous and viviparous populations from lower altitudes found in the literature. The studied population shows an extremely short reproductive period. Males show a mixed-type spermatogenesis with very short, vernal spermiogenesis. They emerge from their winter burrows earlier than females and remain unfertile until females start activity and the breeding season begins. Large males release more sperm in copulations than small ones. Females synchronically lay a single clutch per year whereas other oviparous populations living at lower altitudes are iteroparous. Females invest more fat reserves from different compartments (liver, tail) than males, but later in the reproductive season. This major energetic stress seems to be due to the long period of oviductal egg retention. The http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Netherlands Journal of Zoology (in 2003 continued as Animal Biology) Brill

Reproductive Cycle in a Pyrenean Oviparous Population of the Common Lizard (Zootoca Vi Vipara)

Download PDF
13 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/brill/reproductive-cycle-in-a-pyrenean-oviparous-population-of-the-common-ZiA55uorWo

References (26)

Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 2000 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0028-2960
eISSN
1568-542X
DOI
10.1163/156854200X00243
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE IN A PYRENEAN OVIPAROUS POPULATION OF THE COMMON LIZARD (ZOOTOCA VI VIPARA) by JUAN MANUEL ROIG, MIGUEL ANGEL CARRETERO and GUSTAVO ADOLFO LLORENTE * (Department de Biologia Animal (Vertebrats), Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona) ABSTRACT High altitude reptiles inhabit adverse environments that condition their reproductive biology. The reproductive and fat body cycles of a high altitude oviparous population of the Common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) in the central Pyrenees were analysed and compared with data on other oviparous and viviparous populations from lower altitudes found in the literature. The studied population shows an extremely short reproductive period. Males show a mixed-type spermatogenesis with very short, vernal spermiogenesis. They emerge from their winter burrows earlier than females and remain unfertile until females start activity and the breeding season begins. Large males release more sperm in copulations than small ones. Females synchronically lay a single clutch per year whereas other oviparous populations living at lower altitudes are iteroparous. Females invest more fat reserves from different compartments (liver, tail) than males, but later in the reproductive season. This major energetic stress seems to be due to the long period of oviductal egg retention. The

Journal

Netherlands Journal of Zoology (in 2003 continued as Animal Biology) – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 2000

Keywords: Zootnca vivipara; egg retention; Pyrenees; high altitude; fat cycles; reproduction

There are no references for this article.