Structure of the femora and autotomous (postpygal) caudal vertebrae in the three-toed skink Chalcides chalcides (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) and its applicability for age and growth rate determination |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, U.S.A.;2. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO, U.S.A.;3. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.;1. Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, China;2. Alligator Research Center of Anhui Province, Xuanzhou 242000, China;1. Quantitative Fisheries Center, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA;2. Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority, 179 W. Three Mile Road, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, 49783, USA;1. State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China;2. Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;3. Sichuan Bureau of Coal Geological Exploration, Chengdu 610059, China;4. University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd, Houston, TX 77004, USA |
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| Abstract: | The limbs of the three-toed skink Chalcides chalcides are reduced to such a degree that the three digits are too small for skeletochronology. This study, performed on animals collected near Isernia (central Italy), describes the structure of the caudal vertebrae, which are often naturally lost due to autotomy, in order to determine whether they can be used to obtain data on age and growth with skeletochronological techniques. The reliability of the autotomous caudal vertebrae for skeletochronology was verified by performing skeletochronological analyses also on femora. Although the identification of the lines of arrested growth (LAGs) was easier in femora than in autotomous caudal vertebrae, a high correspondence of the LAG count between the two bones was observed. Females were larger and lived longer than males (4 and 3 years, respectively). For both sexes, the snout vent length (SVL) was significantly correlated with age. For both sexes, sexual maturity was attained after two hibernations from birth, beginning at the 20th month of age. At first reproduction, males had an SVL of 91–106 mm and females one of 111–150 mm. Von Bertalanffy growth curves of age versus SVL showed that females had slower growth rates than males for attaining their asymptotic SVL (females: 197 mm; males: 143 mm). The results provide the first data on age and growth of C. chalcide, and show that autotomous caudal vertebrae are reliable alternatives for obtaining such data for limb-reduced reptiles, avoiding the need to sacrifice or disable animals, as occurs when long bones are used. |
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