We analyzed variation in growth in the lizard Xenosaurus grandis in a seasonal tropical environment in Veracruz, México. We used the logistic-by-length model to represent the growth pattern of these lizards. Males and females did not differ in estimated asymptotic size or the characteristic growth parameter. Estimated growth curve predicted an age at maturity of 28 months for males and 32 months for females. Size independent growth rates were higher during the wet season, and did not differ among years. The interaction among body mass, food abundance, and maximum, minimum, and average temperatures significantly affected growth rates. Our results suggest that variation in body growth is predominantly driven by seasonal resource limitation.
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1 September 2005
Growth Ecology of the Lizard Xenosaurus grandis in Veracruz, México
J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega,
R. Isaac Rojas-González,
Julio A. Lemos-Espinal,
M. Esther Pérez-Trejo
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