TEIIDAE) IN THE DRY CHACO OF ARGENTINA THE REPRODUCTIVE-CYCLE AND THE SIZE AT MATURITY OF TUPINAMBIS-RUFESCENS (SAURIA

The reproductive patterns of Tupinambis rufescens have not been described. The present study had three objectives: (1) to describe the reproductive and fat body cycles of T. rufescens from our study site in the dry chaco of Argentina; (2) to elucidate and analyze the distribution of sizes at which female T. rufescens reach sexual maturity; and (3) to discuss the conservation implications of the reproductive cycle of T. rufescens. Oviductal width increased significantly after females reached 320mm SVL, and we presumed the increase was due to stretching of the oviducts in females that had been gravid. Seventy-eight percent of the females >319mm snout-vent length (SVL) and 84.3% >349 mm SVL possessed oviducts >3.5mm wide, our criterion for indicating a female had reproduced, while only 6.9% of the females.

THE REPRODUCTIVE-CYCLE AND THE SIZE AT MATURITY OF TUPINAMBIS-RUFESCENS (SAURIA, TEIIDAE) IN THE DRY CHACO OF ARGENTINA Academic Article