Elif YILDIRIM, Yusuf KUMLUTAŞ, Kamil CANDAN, Çetin ILGAZ

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

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,

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