Affiliation:
1. Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción Animal, División Académica de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco Tabasco Mexico
2. Department of Marine Biosciences, Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Tokyo Japan
3. Laboratorio de Biología de la Reproducción Animal, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Mexico City Mexico
4. Department of Biology University of Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana USA
Abstract
AbstractWe used histological and morphometric methods to study the testis and associated glands, including the epididymis, ductus deferens, and renal sexual segment (RSS), of specimens of Basiliscus vittatus sampled from Tabasco, Mexico (17.5926° N, 92.5816° W). Samples were collected throughout 1 year, which included the dry (February to May) and rainy (June to January) seasons. Spermatogenesis in B. vittatus is active throughout the year, but a significant increase in the testicular volume, diameters of seminiferous tubules, height of the germinal epithelium, spermiogenesis, and released spermatozoa occur in the dry season. During the rainy season, all aforementioned parameters decreased except the secretory activity of the epididymis and the RSS, which increased concomitant with an increase of the spermatozoa population within the ductus deferens. These data strongly suggest that B. vittatus reproduce year‐round, but males exhibit a peak in spermatogenic activity during the dry season and a peak in insemination and/or copulation at the beginning of the rainy season. We highlight the importance of analyzing not only the testis but also accessory ducts and glands when determining the reproductive cycles of reptiles. The reproductive cycle of B. vittatus is discussed in relation to the environmental conditions of Southern Mexico and is compared to that of other squamates.