Premium
The Influence of Food and Water on Growth Rates in a Tropical Lizard (Anolis Aeneus)
Author(s) -
Stamps Judy,
Tanaka Sanford
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936665
Subject(s) - anolis , lizard , biology , dry season , juvenile , ecology , growth rate , predation , wet season , limiting , biomass (ecology) , iguanidae , sauria , mechanical engineering , geometry , mathematics , engineering
The limiting effects of food and water on juvenile growth rates in the lizard Anolis aeneus were investigated in the field (Grenada, West Indies) and laboratory. Growth rates of lizards in the field were unrelated to their snout—vent lengths, but both prey biomass and rainfall had significant effects on juvenile growth rates. Laboratory experiments indicated that water had a primary limiting effect on growth; even when food supplies were superabundant, growth rates were low when drinking water was curtailed. Laboratory and field experiments suggest that limited water availability reduces growth rates for most (67%) of the dry season, whereas food levels are sufficiently low to limit growth during the weeks of the dry season when rainfall is sufficient for growth. During the wet season there is no evidence of water scarcity, food levels are high and average growth rates are 85% of the maximal rates observed under optimal conditions in the laboratory.