Re: lizard growth [egg] question

[David Peters <davidrpeters@earthlink.net>]

Thank you!

Answers are coming in both ways, larger clutches and larger eggs,  
including one C-section reply. Evidently there are some taxa in which  
the clutch size is invariant. I suppose that includes (at least)  
those that lay but one or two eggs max.

David Peters




On Mar 17, 2008, at 1:51 AM, John Scanlon wrote:

> Hi David,
>
> For info on lizard (& snake) reproduction, I suggest a couple of  
> places
> worth looking at:
> http://www.bio.usyd.edu.au/Shinelab/publications/publ.html
> and
> http://www.austmus.gov.au/herpetology/research/index.htm#encyclopedia
>
> Generally small and large females within a species tend to differ  
> in clutch
> size rather than offspring size, though there may be exceptions.   
> Closely
> related species may differ considerably in clutch size, offspring  
> size and
> adult size; e.g. Shine (1980) found a specimen of Demansia 'atra'  
> with much
> larger oviducal eggs than others, allowing reidentification as the  
> similar
> but larger species D. papuensis.
>
> Cheers,
> John
>
> -----------------------------------------------
> Dr John D. Scanlon, FCD
> Riversleigh Fossil Centre, Outback at Isa
> riversleigh@outbackatisa.com.au
> http://tinyurl.com/f2rby
>
> "Get this $%#@* python off me!", said Tom laocoonically.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Peters [mailto:davidrpeters@earthlink.net]
> Sent: 16 March, 2008 5:02 AM
> To: Dinosaur Mailing List
> Subject: lizard growth question
>
> If lizards, such as Iguana, are sexually mature at half their final
> size, are the juveniles and eggs of small mothers different in size
> from those of large mothers? Or are Iguana eggs pretty much the same
> size no matter the age and size of the mother?
>
> References?
>
> David Peters
> new email address:
> davidpeters@att.net