The Herpetological Journal

pp.19-26

Authors: Bruno Halluan Soares Oliveira, Romilda Narciza Mendonça de Queiroz, Lucas Barbosa de
Queiroga Cavalcanti & Daniel Oliveira Mesquita

Abstract: Here we investigate the autecology of the poorly known lizard Anotosaura vanzolinia (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) and
describe diet, reproductive biology and morphological aspects, testing hypotheses of seasonality and ontogenetic differences.
We collected 154 specimens (44 males, 41 females and 69 juveniles) from April 2011 to June 2014, where 101 were found
buried in soil. Their diet consists mainly of arthropods found within its microhabitat, including ants and termites, but differences
were found between adults and juveniles, and between seasons. Reproduction occurs during the wet season, even though
reproductive males could be found in almost all months of the year. Females have fixed clutch size of two eggs, producing more
than one clutch during the reproductive season; the incubation period is about 43 to 49 days.

Keywords: microhabitat use, diet, reproduction, sexual dimorphism, hatchling size, semiarid.