Reproduction and Life History of New Zealand Lizards

Cree, Alison; Hare, Kelly M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-41674-8_7

Cited by 34 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…These costs likely extend further again, as biennial/triennial reproductive mode is often seen in squamates living in harsh high elevation environments (e.g. Cree & Hare, 2016). Extensive hibernation periods as a result of marked seasonality in Australian alpine endemic species is well documented (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Demographic and life history variation in two sky‐island populations of an endangered alpine lizard

et al. 2019

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A species' life history is a strong determinant of its risk of extinction; traits such as body size, growth rate, age at maturity and fecundity influence population viability and persistence, as well as capacity for dispersal and colonisation of new habitats. Yet, despite the potential for substantial geographic variation in life history, most conservation programmes rely upon the species average rather than information specific to individual populations. We use the Guthega Skink (Liopholis guthega), a threatened alpine endemic lizard restricted to two geographically isolated locations in southeastern Australia, as a case study to demonstrate how geographic variation in life history traits may better inform conservation management. Liopholis guthega has a relatively short life span, with only a few years of reproductive activity, inter-annual variation in reproductive output, and less-than-annual reproduction. We show that the Victorian population has a significantly slower growth rate, attains a smaller maximum size, reaches reproductive maturity later, and produces significantly smaller litters, despite no difference in longevity suggesting that it may be more vulnerable to extinction. We, therefore, suggest evaluating genetic rescue from the New South Wales population to improve recruitment and longevity of Victorian L. guthega, ongoing population monitoring in both locations, and a dedicated pest control programme to reduce pressure on this population. Our study has far reaching impacts; primarily demonstrating how knowledge of geographic variation in life history has the potential to improve conservation management of threatened species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Demographic and life history variation in two sky‐island populations of an endangered alpine lizard

et al. 2019

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“…With the exception of a few gecko taxa (e.g. the New Zealand radiation, Cree & Hare, 2016; Nielsen, Bauer, Jackman, Hitchmough, & Daugherty, 2011; the South American Homonota darwini ; Ibarguengoytia & Casalins, 2007; Weeks & Espinoza, 2013), the distribution of fixed‐clutch lizards is mostly limited to tropical, subtropical, and desert regions (geckos) or tropical and subtropical regions alone (anoles, gymnophthalmids; Roll et al., 2017). One could easily come up with hypotheses relating to the distribution of each of these three taxa.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes

Meiri

Ávila

Bauer

et al. 2020

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Aim: Clutch size is a key life-history trait. In lizards, it ranges over two orders of magnitude. The global drivers of spatial and phylogenetic variation in clutch have been extensively studied in birds, but such tests in other organisms are lacking. To test the generality of latitudinal gradients in clutch size, and their putative drivers, we present the first global-scale analysis of clutch sizes across lizard taxa. Location: Global. Time period: Recent. Major taxa studied: Lizards (Reptilia, Squamata, Sauria). Methods: We analysed clutch-size data for over 3,900 lizard species, using phylogenetic generalized least-square regression to study the relationships between clutch sizes and environmental (temperature, precipitation, seasonality, primary productivity, insularity) and ecological factors (body mass, insularity, activity times, and microhabitat use). Results: Larger clutches are laid at higher latitudes and in more productive and seasonal environments. Insular taxa lay smaller clutches on average. Temperature B I OS K E TCH Shai Meiri is interested in the evolution of traits, and its relationship with geography.

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“…The taxon from this region is a proposed species known informally as Woodworthia "Otago/Southland" (Nielsen et al, 2011) or Woodworthia "Otago/Southland large" (Hitchmough et al, 2016), and is a member of what has been considered as the Hoplodactylus maculatus species complex. Otago/Southland geckos are viviparous; up to two embryos develop in separate uteri of the laterally placed oviducts (Cree and Hare, 2016a). Wild females in the Macraes population reproduce biennially and can live an estimated 30 years or more, with maturity in females being reached at about 8 years (Sheehan et al, 2003;Cree and Hare, 2016a).…”

Section: Materials and Methods Study Species And Maintenancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sexual dimorphism in digit-length ratios was examined in 37 adults (10 males and 27 females) from a breeding colony housed under laboratory conditions (see Gaby et al, 2011 for husbandry details). Sex of males was confirmed by the presence of large hemipenial sacs and femoral pores, and in females by the absence of male features coupled with the presence of vitellogenic oocytes detectable by palpation and/or a history of pregnancies (Cree and Hare, 2016a). Snout-vent length (SVL) of adults ranged from 61 to 81 mm.…”

Section: Adultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we examined digit ratios in Woodworthia "Otago/Southland", the first viviparous lizard and the first gekkotan lizard to be examined. Gekkotan lizards are diverse (>1,600 species), but only two lineages have evolved viviparity, one of which contains several genera of diplodactylines from New Zealand, including Woodworthia (Cree and Hare, 2016a). In Woodworthia "Otago/Southland", up to two embryos develop, each in separate uteri, from yolk-filled oocytes over a prolonged gestation lasting up to 14 months (Cree and Hare, 2016a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sexual Dimorphism of Digit‐Length Ratio in a Viviparous Lizard: Influence of Age, but not Preservation State or Sex of Interuterine Twin

Woodhead

Hare

Cree

2018

The Anatomical Record

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The existence of sex differences in digit-length ratio (especially between the second and fourth digits, 2D:4D) is well established for humans from fetal life onwards, and has been linked with later performance. In rodents, the ratio is affected prenatally by exposure to androgens and estrogens, with some research suggesting an influence from sex of the neighbouring intrauterine fetus. However, the ubiquity and ontogenetic development of sexual dimorphism in digit ratios is not well established among wild amniotes. We report the first digit ratios for a gekkotan lizard, representing a speciose lineage in which viviparity has evolved independently from mammals and other reptiles. For the gecko Woodworthia "Otago/Southland", in which up to two embryos develop in separate uteri, we found: (1) significant sexual dimorphism in adults in 2D:3D of the right hindlimb only (larger in males), but not in 2D:4D for any limb; (2) no dimorphism in ratios for young juveniles, with no influence of sex of the interuterine twin, and no relationship with sprint speed; (3) in preserved tissues of the same juveniles, no sexual dimorphism in ratios, but a change in relative lengths of some digits with preservation. The ontogenetic pattern might be explained by altered sex-steroid exposure at the transition to adulthood rather than during prenatal development. Our results support a phylogenetic hypothesis that sauropsids (birds and reptiles) differ from mammals in the direction of sex difference, if present. Experiments are needed to establish the roles of androgens and estrogens in establishing these sex differences in lizards. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Reproduction and Life History of New Zealand Lizards

Cited by 34 publications

References 59 publications

Demographic and life history variation in two sky‐island populations of an endangered alpine lizard

Demographic and life history variation in two sky‐island populations of an endangered alpine lizard

The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes

Sexual Dimorphism of Digit‐Length Ratio in a Viviparous Lizard: Influence of Age, but not Preservation State or Sex of Interuterine Twin

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