Comparison of the Age Structure, Body Size, and Some Growth Parameters of Two Insular Populations of Lyciasalamandra fazilae from Southwestern Turkey

Abstract

Some life-history traits (body size, age at maturity, longevity, and growth) of Lyciasalamandra fazilae from two insular populations (Tersane Island and Domuz Island) living in the Mediterranean environment of southwestern Turkey were investigated. We applied phalangeal skeletochronology to obtain the ages of juveniles and adults. Age was determined by counting the lines of arrested growth (LAGs) in cross-sections. No significant differences were found between the age distributions of the two sexes in the Tersane population but there was a significant difference in the Domuz population. The age structure of males and females varied significantly between populations, with highest mean ages observed in the Tersane Island. Males were on average larger than females in both populations. Both males and females from Tersane Island were found to be significantly larger than those of Domuz Island. The growth coefficient K and SVLmax were significantly different between the sexes in Tersane, but not in Domuz population. These parameters also showed significant interpopulational difference only for females indicating Domuz females grew faster than those of Tersane.