REPRODUCTIVE EFFORT AND ASPECTS OF PARENTAL CARE OF THE ALLIGATOR LIZARD Gerrhonotus infernalis (SQUAMATA: ANGUIDAE)

Abstract

Relative clutch mass (RCM) is used as a measure of reproductive effort in lizards. Species that do not show parental care tend to have higher RCM. In this study, we estimated the reproductive effort of an oviparous lizard with presumed parental care. As such, we collected four gravid females of Gerrhonotus infernalis from Parque Ecológico Chipinque, Nuevo León, Mexico. We kept the subjects in captivity until they laid eggs. We then measured RCM and the percentage of weight lost (Pw%). We observed that these females lost more than 60% of their weight after laying their eggs, and the RCM reached 0.44 g, a reproductive effort equal or even higher than that of other oviparous and viviparous lizards with lack of parental care. Likewise, we observed variations in parental care care given that two of the four females did not exhibit a defensive response in caring for their eggs.