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Age and Growth of the Artvin Lizard, Darevskia Derjugini (Nikolsky , 1898), in Turkey (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae)

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Age and Growth of the Artvin Lizard, Darevskia Derjugini (Nikolsky , 1898), in Turkey (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae) Kurnaz_Buelbuel_etal_Darevskia_derjugini_age_and_growth:HERPETOZOA.qxd 02.03.2018 16:48 Seite 1 herPeToZoa 30 (3/4): 147 - 158 147 Wien, 28. februar 2018 age and growth of the artvin Lizard, Darevskia derjugini (nikoLsky , 1898), in Turkey (squamata: sauria: Lacertidae) altersstruktur und Wachstum der artviner eidechse, Darevskia derjugini (nikoLsky , 1898) in der Türkei (squamata: sauria: Lacertidae) mUammer kUrnaZ & U fUk BüLBüL & a Li İhsan eroğLU & f erhaT UZUn & h aLime koç & B iLaL kUTrUP kUrZfassUnG die autoren untersuchten mögliche auswirkungen von klimafaktoren auf Wachstum und altersstruktur in zwei Populationen von Darevskia derjugini (nikoLsky , 1898) an unterschiedlichen höhenstandorten in der Türkei. obwohl sich die seehöhen und Jahresmittelwerte von Temperatur, niederschlag und Luftfeuchte an den Untersuchungsstandorten Şavşat (hochlandpopulation) und düzköy (Tieflandpopulation) jeweils signifikant unter - schieden, taten dies die kopf-rumpf-Längen, das alter bei erreichen der Geschlechtsreife, die Lebenserwartung und die Wachstumsraten in den beiden eidechsenpopulationen nicht. in beiden Populationen war der geschlechts - bedingte Größenunterschied zugunsten der Weibchen deutlich ausgeprägt, der Wachstumskoeffizient war in der hochgelegenen Population größer. die Ähnlichkeiten in den Wachstumsraten und den geschlechtsbedingten Größenunterschieden zwischen den beiden in unterschiedlichen höhen lebenden Populationen von D. derjugini legen nahe, daß die Lebenserwartung und das alter beim erreichen der Geschlechtsreife die zuvorgenannten Parameter stärker beeinflussen als die jeweiligen klimabedingungen. aBsTraCT The authors investigated potential effects of climatic factors on age and growth in two populations of Darevskia derjugini (nikoLsky , 1898), located at different elevations in Turkey. although elevation, mean annu - al temperature, precipitation and humidity were significantly different among the study sites of Şavşat (highland population) and düzköy (lowland population), the lizards’ respective snout-vent-length, age at maturity, longevity and growth rates were not. a strong female-biased sexual size dimorphism was observed in both populations. The growth coefficient was higher in the high-elevation population. The similarities of growth rates and ssd in D. der - jugini populations from different elevation sites suggest that longevity and age upon arrival at sexual maturity have stronger effects on these parameters than the ambient thermal conditions. key Words reptilia: squamata: sauria: Lacertidae: Darevskia derjugini ; population ecology, life history traits, skeleto - chronology, age at maturity, von Bertalanffy growth curve, sexual size dimorphism, body size, growth rate, longevity; Turkey inTrodUCTion To successfully conserve and restore a 2016). it is distributed in the Black sea particular species, knowledge of its life-his - coastal region of Turkey (Provinces of tory traits and basic ecology, including Giresun, Trabzon, rize and artvin), Geor gia, physical characteristics of individuals and azerbaijan and russia ( BisChoff 1982, age structure of natural populations, is a 1984; r yanBinina et al. 2002; BisChoff et al . matter of critical importance ( Germano 2005). in spite of its wide distribution in the 1992; a ndreone et al. 2005). eastern Black sea region, there is lack of The artvin Lizard, Darevskia derjugini detailed information on population dynamics (nikoLsky , 1898), is among the lacertid and life-history traits of the species. species classified as “near Threatened” in the Pertinent knowledge is limited to the studies iUCn red List of Threatened species (iUCn by orLova & s mirina (1981, 19839) who Kurnaz_Buelbuel_etal_Darevskia_derjugini_age_and_growth:HERPETOZOA.qxd 02.03.2018 16:48 Seite 2 148 m. k UrnaZ & U. B üLBüL & a. İ. e roğLU & f. U ZUn & h. k oç & B. k UTrUP Table 1: activity and sampling periods of Darevskia derjugini (nikoLsky , 1898) and climate data of the sampling sites at Şavşat and düzköy (northeast Turkish Black sea region). Tab. 1: aktivitäts- und sammelperioden von Darevskia derjugini (nikoLsky , 1898) sowie klimadaten der Untersuchungsstandorte in Şavşat und düzköy (nordosttürkische schwarzmeerregion). site - altitude (m a.s.l.) / fundort – seehöhe (m ü. m.) Şavşat - 1,690 m düzköy - 571 m activity period / aktivitätsperiode early may - late sept. late apr. - late oct. anfang mai - ende sept. ende apr. - ende okt. sampling period / sammelperiode september 10-14, 2015 august 20-24, 2015 average daytime air temperature during sampling / 22 °C 26 °C mittlere Tagestemperatur in der sammelperiode annual average temperature / Jahresmittel der Temperatur 10.2 °C 12.5 °C annual average precipitation / Jahresmittel der niederschlagsmenge 60.90 mm 52.03 mm annual average humidity / Jahresmittel der relativen Luftfeuchte 70.55 % 75.3 % activity period average temperature / 18.7 °C 17.7 °C Temperaturmittel der aktivitätsperiode activity period average precipitation / 61.18 mm 48.73 mm mittlere niederschlagsmenge der aktivitätsperiode activity period average humidity / 66 % 83.5 % mittlere relative Luftfeuchte der aktivitätsperiode investigated the population structure of D. fraZer et al. 1991). Being a most purpose - derjugini based on monitoring and age de - ful and economic approach, skeletochronol - termination in natural populations. Both of ogy ( CasTaneT & s mirina 1990) was adopt - those studies did not include results on ed by the authors to answer age and growth growth rate, sexual size dimorphism and re - related issues. lationships between age and snout-vent- The objective of the present study length. was to evaluate age, body size, sexual size age determination for demographic di morphism (ssd), and growth rate results analyses is a standard to obtain information among individuals and populations of D. about the vitality and stability of reptilian derjugini and investigate potential effects populations for many years ( TinkLe 1967; of climatic factors on life-history traits of davBin 1982; G iBBons & s emLiTsCh 1982; two populations located at different alti - hUTTon 1986; B arBaULT & m oU 1988; tudes. maTeriaLs and meThods during the breeding season, D. der - tude of 571 m a.s.l. The specimens were jugini specimens were collected from two caught from a slope covered with thorny populations living at different altitudes in vegetation at the edge of the düzköy- the northeast Turkish Black sea region (cap - kayabaşı highland motorway. activity and ture permission no. 72784983-488.04- sampling periods of Darevskia derjugini 147331 issued by the ministry of forest and (nikoLsky , 1898) and climate data of the Water affairs of Turkey). The Şavşat popu - sampling sites at Şavşat and düzköy are lation (Province of artvin, 41°13’55”n, 42° summarized in Table 1. 26’17”e) is located in a forested area at an The lizards in both populations face altitude of 1,690 m a.s.l. The specimens different ecological, but similar anthro - were caught among thorny shrubs at the pogenic conditions. Both sites are moder - edge of the artvin-Şavşat highway where D. ately populated and agricultural activity is derjugini lives in sympatry with Darevskia not important, traffic-related threats such as parvula (LanTZ & C yrén , 1913). The düz - roadkill and pollution are similar. Within köy population (Province of Trabzon, 40° each site, the lizards were caught by hand 53’14”n, 39°26’42”e) is located at an alti - and sexed by sounding for the presence or Kurnaz_Buelbuel_etal_Darevskia_derjugini_age_and_growth:HERPETOZOA.qxd 02.03.2018 16:48 Seite 3 Life-history traits of Darevskia derjugini 149 absence of hemipenis pockets and second - tion, histological tissue processing, embed - ary sex characteristics (e.g., dark blue spots ding, cross-section and staining (hema - on the margins of ventral plates and black toxylin) procedures as described in BüLBüL color of lateral bands and the wider tail base et al. (2016). finally, the cross-sections were present in males). snout-vent length (svL) observed under a light microscope. was measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using age was estimated using standard a digital caliper. sexual size dimorphism skeletochronological criteria ( CasTaneT & (ssd) was quantified using the size dimor - smirina 1990; s mirina 1994). The number phism index (sdi) in LoviCh & G iBBons of LaGs on all the cross-sections was inde - (1992): sdi = (mean length of the larger sex pendently counted by three observers ( m. / mean length of the smaller sex) ± 1. This kUrnaZ , f. U ZUn & a. İ. e roğLU ) and the formula, arbitrarily uses +1 if males are results were unified in discussions. ob - larger than females defining the result as served double lines were counted as single negative, or -1 if females are larger than lines. in the present study, endosteal resorp - males defining the result as positive. tion of the first LaG was diagnosed by The second phalanx of the fourth (lon - comparing the diameters of eroded marrow gest) toe of a hind limb was clipped in all cavities with the diameters of non-eroded specimens collected and preserved in 10 % marrow cavities in sections from the formalin solution for subsequent histologic youngest specimens as previously described analyses. after on-site registration and toe- in the study of ÖZdemir et al. (2012). The clipping, the lizards were released back to accuracy of age estimation was however their natural habitats. The animals were never seriously affected by the endosteal treated in accordance with the guidelines of resorption process.
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