草蜥属两种蜥蜴卵和幼体特征的比较研究

比较研究了南草蜥和北草蜥实验条件下的卵及幼体特征。南草蜥产卵雌体的体长、最大窝卵数、平均卵重小于北草蜥 ,相对窝卵重与北草蜥相似。两种蜥蜴均通过增加卵长径和卵短径来增加卵重 ,但卵外形明显不同 ,南草蜥的卵较长。两种蜥蜴卵孵化过程中均吸水增重。相同孵化温度 ( 2 6℃ )条件下 ,南草蜥的孵化期明显比北草蜥长。南草蜥幼体的体重、体长、头长和头宽的实测值小于北草蜥 ,尾长实测值与北草蜥无显著差异。南草蜥幼体的体重、头长和头宽的矫正平均值小于北草蜥 ,尾长矫正平均值大于北草蜥 ,体长矫正平均值与北草蜥无显著差异。     

草晰属两种蜥蜴卵和幼体特征的比较研究

比较研究了南草蜥实验条件下的卵及幼体特征。南草蜥产卵雌体的体长、最大窝卵数、平均卵重小于北草蜥,相对放重与北草蜥相似。两种蜥蜴均通过增加卵长径和卵短径来增加卵重,但卵处形明显不同,南草蜥的卵孵化过程中均吸水增重。相同孵化温度（２６℃）条件下,南草蜥的孵化期明显比北草蜥长。南草蜥幼体的体重、体长、头长和头宽的实测值小于北草蜥,尾长实测值与是蜥显著差异。南草晰幼体的体重、头长和头宽的矫正平均值小于北草     

环境温度对黑龙江草蜥体温及生理体温调节能力的影响

本文以长白山地区的黑龙江草蜥(Takydromus amurensis)为研究对象,于2014年4—6月在实验室进行饲养和繁殖,10月初,将成体和孵出的幼体置于恒温培养箱内进行体温测量,探讨不同恒温条件和急速升温条件对黑龙江草蜥体温和生理体温调节能力的影响。结果表明:在11~39℃的恒温条件下,黑龙江草蜥的体温受测量时间的影响显著,07:00时体温最低;在11~19℃的恒温条件下,黑龙江草蜥幼体体温显著高于成体体温,在21℃的恒温条件下,成体和幼体体温间无显著差异,在23~39℃的恒温条件下,幼体体温显著低于成体体温;黑龙江草蜥的体温与环境温度呈线性正相关,成体的回归方程为y=0.72366x+7.1778,幼体的回归方程为y=0.6508x+8.8039,与等温线y=x的交点温度分别为25.97和25.21℃;当环境温度从10℃急速升高到30℃时,黑龙江草蜥体温在短时间内快速升高,但升温速率逐渐降低。由此可知,黑龙江草蜥体温受环境温度的影响显著,且具有一定的生理体温调节能力,幼体的生理体温调节能力较强,使其具有较强的恒温性。     

安徽宿州山地麻蜥卵孵化温度效应

用3个恒定温度(27、30、33℃)和波动温度(14.0～37.5℃)孵化山地麻蜥(Eremias brenchleyi)卵。结果表明,各温度处理下卵孵化成功率差异不显著,但温度对孵化期、孵出幼体表型特征及疾跑速度有显著影响;27、30℃和波动温度下孵出幼体的SVL、重量及躯干干重比33℃的要大,33℃孵出幼体的运动能力比其他3个温度处理弱。波动温度处理下山地麻蜥卵虽短期经历潜在致死的极端温度,但对孵化成功率、孵出幼体表型特征和运动表现均无负效应。     

蜡皮蜥的两性异形和繁殖输出

为研究蜡皮蜥(Leiolepis reevesii)两性异形和繁殖输出,于2002、2003年4月下旬从海南乐东一种群捕获423头蜡皮蜥。经检测得到繁殖雌体的最小体长为89．0mm,据此判定≥89．0mm的个体为性成熟。研究结果表明：①蜡皮蜥具有两性异形,雄性大于雌性且具有较大的头部。成体雄性头长和头宽随体长的增长速率大于雌性,幼体头长和头宽随体长的增长速率无显著的两性差异。以性别和年龄(成、幼体)为因子的双因子ANOVA比较两性头长和头宽与体长的回归剩余值发现,雄性头部大于雌性,幼体头部相对大于成体。②饲养于实验室的母体中有42头于2002、2003年5月22日～7月16日产出正常卵,这些繁殖雌体具有年产多窝卵的潜力。窝卵数和卵重的变异系数分别为0．18和0．13,前者变异度大于后者。窝卵数、窝卵重和卵重均与母体体长无关。卵重与相对生育力之间无显著的负相关性,表明蜡皮蜥缺乏卵数量与卵大小之间的权衡。相对窝卵重与母体体长呈显著的负相关,表明较小的母体具有相对较大的繁殖输出。因雌体繁殖会滞缓其生长,小母体具有相对较大的繁殖输出,至少部分地解释了雌性蜡皮蜥的成体为什么个体较小。     

水热环境对白条草蜥孵化卵和孵出幼体表型特征的影响

用4×2(温度×湿度)八种水热环境孵化安徽滁州琅琊山白条草蜥(Takydromus wolteri)卵,观测孵化卵重量变化、胚胎利用卵内物质和能量以及孵出幼体的特征。卵从孵化环境中吸水导致重量增加,卵重量的增加与入孵卵重量、孵化温度和基质湿度有关。两种孵化基质湿度对孵化期、孵化成功率、孵出幼体性比和大小都无显著影响。孵化期随恒定孵化温度的升高而缩短,27℃、30℃和33℃孵化期分别为32.5、24.9和23.0d,波动温度孵化期为31.1d。33℃孵化成功率最低(42.8%)。温度对孵化成功率和孵出幼体的性别无显著影响,但显著影响胚胎对卵内物质的动用、幼体的大小和重量。33℃不适宜孵化白条草蜥卵,该温度下孵出的幼体躯干小,剩余卵黄多,运动能力差。27℃和波动温度中孵出幼体躯干发育良好,各项被测定的特征指标极其相似。     

孵化温度对白条草蜥孵出幼体大小、形态和运动表现的影响

实验用白条草蜥(Takydrous wolteri）卵由1999年和2000年4月捕自安徽滁州的19条成年雌体产出。用4个恒定温度（24-33℃）孵化白条草蜥卵,检测孵化温度对孵出幼体大小、形态和运动表现的影响。孵化卵从环境中吸不导致生量增加,卵重量增加与卵初始重量和孵化温度有关。24、27、30和33℃孵化期的平均值分别为41.9、30.6、6.25和22.6d。温度显著影响孵化成功率及孵出幼体的湿重、躯干干重和剩余卵黄干重,但对孵出幼体的性别、体长、尾长和干重无显著影响。24℃和27℃孵出幼体湿重和躯干干重大于33℃孵出幼体,剩余卵黄干则小于33℃孵出幼体;30℃和33℃孵出幼体的湿重、躯干干重和剩余卵黄干重无显著差异。孵化温度显著影响孵出幼体一些局部形态特征：24℃和27℃孵出幼体头长和头宽矫正值显著大于高温（33℃）孵出幼体,24℃孵出幼体耳径正值一般小于较高温度孵出的幼体。疾跑速与幼体体长成正相关,与幼体尾长和状态无关。高温孵出幼体运动能力较差。雄笥幼体腹鳞行数少于雌性幼体,尾长和后肢长大于雌性幼体,这些特征的两性差异与孵化温度无关。孵化热环境能诱导白条草蜥部分表型特征的变异,这些特征的变异可能对个体的适应性具有长期的影响。     

不同多疣壁虎种群繁殖特征的比较

对浙江地区3个多疣壁虎(Gekko japonicus)种群的个体大小、繁殖生活史特征进行了测定。在24 ℃、28 ℃和31 ℃条件下,孵化多疣壁虎卵,并测定其孵化期和幼体特征。结果表明：多疣壁虎成体存在显著种群间变异和两性差异,即衢州和温州个体大于杭州个体,雌体大于雄体;卵平均质量和窝卵重无显著种群间差异,但杭州壁虎的相对窝卵重显著大于衢州和温州个体;孵化温度能显著影响孵化期及幼体的尾长和头宽,但不影响幼体体长、体质量及运动能力;孵化温度效应不存在种群间差异。本研究揭示了疣壁虎个体大小、繁殖输出以及卵孵化特征的微地理变异。     

四种利用不同生境蜥蜴运动能力的形态特征相关性

动物体态特征、功能表现和生境利用之间是否存在相关性是当前生态形态学领域的一个研究焦点。在实验室条件下测定分别利用开阔地面、草丛、岩石、树丛生境的 4种蜥蜴 (中国石龙子、北草蜥、山地麻蜥和变色树蜥 )的形态特征和运动能力 ,着重探讨蜥蜴运动能力与形态特征之间的相关性。 4种蜥蜴的头体长大小依次为 :中国石龙子 >变色树蜥 >北草蜥 >山地麻蜥。就相对体长而言 ,中国石龙子 >山地麻蜥和北草蜥 >变色树蜥 ,而头大小、附肢长度和尾长的种间差异趋势则相反 ;体高的种间差异为北草蜥 >中国石龙子和变色树蜥 >山地麻蜥。在平面上 ,山地麻蜥和北草蜥的速度显著大于中国石龙子和变色树蜥 ;在斜面上 ,变色树蜥和山地麻蜥的速度显著高于中国石龙子。变色树蜥斜面附着能力最强 ,中国石龙子最弱。生境利用不同的蜥蜴形态迥异 ,运动能力亦因此有显著的差异。本研究结果支持动物形态特征与其功能表现相关的观点。     

两种麻蜥卵和孵出幼体的特征

研究了山地麻蜥和丽斑麻蜥实验条件下的卵及孵出幼体的特征.山地麻蜥产卵雌体的体长大于丽斑麻蜥,窝卵重小于丽斑麻蜥,但平均卵重和相对窝卵重与丽斑麻蜥相似.两种蜥蜴均通过增加卵长径和卵短径来增加卵重,但卵的外形不同,山地麻蜥卵较长.两种蜥蜴卵孵化过程中均吸水增重.相似孵化条件(波动温度、-12 kPa)下,山地麻蜥的孵化期明显比丽斑麻蜥长.山地麻蜥幼体的尾、头部大于丽斑麻蜥,但体重和SVL相似.     

Phenotypic plasticity in reproductive traits induced by food availability in a lacertid lizard, Takydromus septentrionalis

Understanding the proximate determinants of phenotypic variations in life-history traits can provide powerful insights into a species' life-history strategies. I experimentally manipulated availability of food (high vs low) to examine plasticity in the reproductive traits of northern grass lizards, Takydromus septentrionalis (Lacertidae), from eastern China. Food availability significantly affected reproductive frequency and thereby seasonal reproductive output, but had little effect on reproductive output per clutch. Low-food females postponed reproduction and produced less clutches in the reproductive season than did high-food females. After producing their second clutches, low-food females were in lower body condition than the high-food counterparts. By the end of the experiment, however, all females exhibited similar body condition. Clutch size and clutch mass differed between the first and second clutches but not between the treatments. Egg size and phenotypic traits of hatchlings (body size, morphology and locomotor performance) in T. septentrionalis did not vary significantly from first to second clutches nor between the two treatments. These results support optimal egg size (offspring) theory. Female T. septentrionali s "decide" whether or not to reproduce largely based on current energy intake; lowered feeding rates thus delay oviposition and reduce reproductive frequency. In contrast, clutch size, egg size and relative clutch mass remain unchanged.     

Phenotypic variation in an oviparous montane lizard (Bassiana duperreyi): the effects of thermal and hydric incubation environments

Recent studies have shown that incubation temperatures can profoundly affect the phenotypes of hatchling lizards, but the effects of hydric incubation environments remain controversial. We examined incubation-induced phenotypic variation in Bassiana duperreyi (Gray, 1938; Sauria: Scincidae), an oviparous montane lizard from south-eastern Australia. We incubated eggs from this species in four laboratory treatments, mimicking cool and moist, cool and dry, warm and moist, and warm and dry natural nest-sites, and assessed several morphological and behavioural traits of lizards after hatching. Incubation temperature influenced a lizard's hatching success, incubation period, tail length and antipredator behaviour, whereas variation in hydric conditions did not engender significant phenotypic variation for most traits. However, moisture affected incubation period slightly differently in males and females, and for a given snout-vent length moisture interacted weakly with temperature to affect lizard body mass. Although incubation conditions can substantially affect phenotypic variation among hatchling lizards, the absence of strong hydric effects suggests that hatchling lizards react less plastically to variation in moisture levels than they do to thermal conditions. Thus, our data do not support the generalization that water availability during embryogenesis is more important than temperature in determining the phenotypes of hatchling reptiles.     

Influence of incubation temperature on morphology, locomotor performance, and early growth of hatchling wall lizards (Podarcis muralis)

Eggs of wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) were incubated at three temperatures approaching the upper limit of viability for embryonic development in this species (26, 29, and 32 degrees C) to assess the influence of temperature on various aspects of hatchling phenotype likely affecting fitness. The thermal environment affected size and several morphometric characteristics of hatchling lizards. Hatchlings from eggs incubated at 32 degrees C were smaller (snout-vent length, SVL) than those from 26 and 29 degrees C and had smaller mass residuals (from the regression on SVL) as well as shorter tail, head, and femur relative to SVL. Variation in the level of fluctuating asymmetry in meristic and morphometric traits associated with incubation temperatures was quite high but not clearly consistent with the prediction that environmental stress associated with the highest incubation temperatures might produce the highest level of asymmetry. When tested for locomotor capacity in trials developed at body temperatures of 32 and 35 degrees C, hatchlings from the 32 degrees C incubation treatment exhibited the worst performance in any aspect considered (burst speed, maximal length, and number of stops in the complete run). Repeated measures ANCOVAs (with initial egg mass as covariate) of snout-vent length and mass of lizards at days 0 and 20 revealed significant effects of incubation temperature only for mass, being again the hatchlings from eggs incubated at 32 degrees C those exhibiting the smallest final size. All together, our results evidenced a pervasive effect of thermal regime during incubation (and hence of nest site selection) on hatchling phenotypes. However, incubation temperature does not affect hatchling phenotypes in a continuous way; for most of the analysed traits a critical threshold seems to exist between 29 and 32 degrees C, so that hatchlings incubated at 32 degrees C exhibited major detrimental effects. J. Exp. Zool. 286:422-433, 2000.     

The influence of maternal thermal environments on reproductive traits and hatchling traits in a Lacertid lizard,Takydromus septentrionalis

The thermal environment can induce substantial variation in important life-history traits. Experimental manipulation of the thermal environment can help researchers determine the contribution of this factor to phenotypic variation in life-history traits. During the reproductive season, we kept female northern grass lizards, Takydromus septentrionalis (Lacertidae), in three temperature-controlled rooms (25, 28 and 32 °C) to measure the effect of the maternal thermal environment on reproductive traits. Maternal thermal environment remarkably affected reproductive frequency and thereby seasonal reproductive output, but had little effect on reproductive traits per clutch or hatchling traits. Females kept at 32 °C produced more clutches and thus had shorter clutch intervals than females from 28 to 25 °C. Clutch size, clutch mass, relative clutch mass, egg size and hatchling traits did not vary among the three treatments. The eggs produced by the females were incubated at 27 °C and the traits of hatchlings were measured. The result that egg (offspring) size was independent of maternal thermal environments is consistent with the prediction of the optimal egg size (offspring) theory. The eggs produced by low temperature females (28 and 25 °C) took longer time to complete their post-oviposition development than did eggs produced by high temperature females (32 °C). This suggests that the eggs from low temperatures might have been laid when the embryos were at relatively early stages. Therefore, maternal thermal environment prior to oviposition could affect post-oviposition development in T. septentrionalis.     

宁波滑蜥两性异形和雌性繁殖

蜥蜴的雌性繁殖特征对理解两性异形的进化原因起着重要作用。于2011年4月在安徽滁州采集宁波滑蜥(Scincella modesta),定量研究该种形态特征的两性异形和雌性繁殖特征,检验成体形态特征两性异形与雌性繁殖的相关性。研究共采集43条(17♀♀,26♂♂)宁波滑蜥,雄性和雌性个体的最大体长分别为47.4 mm和46.6 mm。雌雄两性在体长和头宽上没有差异,而在腹长和头长上差异显著,雄性有较大的头长,雌性有较大的腹长。宁波滑蜥年产单窝卵。窝卵数和窝卵重与雌体体长及腹长呈正相关,卵重与雌体体长无相关性。窝卵数及卵重的变异系数分别为0.20和0.12。卵长径与窝卵数呈负相关,而卵短径与窝卵数无关。雌体主要通过增加窝卵数来增加繁殖输出。这些结果表明,宁波滑蜥是雌雄个体大小同形的两性异形模式,性选择使得雄性有着较大的头长,以具有较高的交配成功率,生育力选择使得雌性有着较大的腹长,以具有较大的生育力和繁殖输出。     

Identifying sources of variation in reproductive and life-history traits among five populations of a Chinese lizard (Takydromus septentrionalis, Lacertidae)

Research on life-history traits of squamate reptiles has focused on North American species, while Asian taxa have been virtually ignored. In order to understand general patterns in reptile life histories, we need a broader data base. Our study on the slender-bodied lacertid lizard Takydromus septentrionalis provides the first detailed information on factors responsible for intraspecific variation in reproductive output and life history in a Chinese reptile. Clutches of recently collected lizards from five widely separated localities in China revealed major divergences in female body size at maturation, mean adult female body size, body condition after oviposition, size-adjusted fecundity, relative clutch mass, and mass and shape of eggs. Most of these geographical differences persisted when the same groups of females were maintained in identical conditions in captivity. Additionally, reproductive frequency during maintenance under laboratory conditions differed according to the animals' place of origin. Thus, the extensive geographical variation in reproductive and life-history traits that occurs within T. septentrionalis is exhibited even in long-term captives, suggesting that proximate factors that vary among localities (local conditions of weather and food supply) are less important determinants of life-history variation than are intrinsic (presumably genetic) influences. The maternal abdominal volume available to hold the clutch may be one such factor, based on low levels of variation in Relative Clutch Mass among populations, and geographical variation in the position of trade-off lines linking offspring size to fecundity.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 85 , 443–453.     

Clutch size versus clutch interval: life history strategies in the colour-polymorphic pygmy grasshopper Tetrix subulata

Theory posits that reproduction carries a cost in terms either of future fecundity, growth or survival. Different life history strategies may evolve in response to different external sources of mortality. In ectothermic organisms, such as insects and reptiles, reproductive characteristics may also vary due to effects of differences in body temperature on activity and physiological performance. In this study, female pygmy grasshoppers [Tetrix subulata (L.) Orthoptera: Tetrigidae] belonging to four different colour morphs were maintained under two different temperatures, and data on reproductive life history traits were used to test for costs of reproduction, plasticity of reproductive characteristics in response to temperature and variation among colour morphs in reproductive strategies. The results revealed that average clutch size decreased progressively from the first to third clutch, and that females producing relatively large clutches displayed a greater reduction (in both absolute and relative terms) in the number of eggs to the following clutch, as expected from the hypothesis that present reproduction negatively affects future fecundity. Great expenditure on present reproduction also negatively influenced the time to next clutch:the decrease in mean clutch size with clutch number was associated with a reduction in inter-clutch interval, and clutch interval increased with clutch size across individuals within colour morphs. Females maintained in a warm environment were more likely to oviposit, laid their first clutch earlier, produced more clutches and had shorter intervals between sequential clutchesthan females in a cold environment, suggesting that differences in body temperature may contribute to variation in reproductive performance within and among natural populations. A comparison among colour morphs maintained under identical conditions suggested that females belonging to certain morphs produce relatively large clutches at the expense of fewer clutches per unit time. However, experimental data revealed no difference in relative fat content between dark and pale individuals maintained either in sun-exposed outdoor enclosures (where they were unable to increase their body temperature by basking) or in shaded enclosures. This suggest that the divergence in life history strategies among colour morphs may reflect a response to morph-specific differences in adult survival imposed by visually searching predators, rather than being due to the effects of differences in body temperature.     

Variation of reproductive traits in a population of the lizard Lacerta vivipara

Variation in reproductive traits (sexual maturity, clutch size, clutch weight, mean egg mass, newborn weight) was studied during a four year period in a population of the live-bearing lizard Lacerta vivipara . Sexual maturity was associated with attaining a minimum body size. Clutch size increased with female body length and litter weight increased with clutch size. A major component of the within year variation in these reproductive traits was attributable to female size. Analysis of successive clutches in individual females indicated that a significant fraction of the variation in litter size, adjusted for female length, was due to consistent differences between individuals. Newborn weight varied within and among litters, but no relations between hatchling mass or mean egg mass in a litter and other traits were detected.
Size-adjusted reproductive performances remained constant during the course of this study, even though environmental conditions (weather factors, food availability) varied annually. Observed among year variations in reproductive characteristics were attributable to differences in the body size distributions of the adult females.     

Thermal regimes during incubation do not affect mean selected temperatures of hatchling lizards (Bassiana duperreyi, Scincidae)

Incubation temperatures profoundly affect many phenotypic traits of squamate reptiles, and mean selected body temperatures of such animals also are plastic in response to environmental factors. Plausibly, then, incubation temperatures might affect hatchling thermoregulation, either via adaptation (i.e., populations that historically experience different nest conditions, also will diverge in hatchling thermoregulatory behaviour) or phenotypic plasticity (incubation temperatures directly modify hatchling behaviours). We tested this hypothesis with a montane scincid lizard (Bassiana duperreyi), using thermal-imaging methods to quantify temperatures (of both head and body) selected by hatchling lizards. The young lizards kept their heads cooler than their bodies, but mean selected temperatures did not differ among hatchlings from three populations with differing thermal regimes in natural nests, nor were they affected by thermal conditions during incubation. The conservatism of mean selected temperatures stands in strong contrast to the lability of many other phenotypic traits in response to incubation temperatures in this species.