Body Size And Age Structure Of The Lebanon Lizard Phoenicolacerta Laevis (Gray, 1838) (Reptilia: Lacertidae) In A Lowland Turkish Population

Life-history traits (e.g. body size, sexual size dimorphism and age) of a Turkish population of the Lebanon lizard Phoenicolacerta laevis were studied using skcictochronology techniques. We measured phalangeal bones (n = 30). The mean snout-vent length (SVL) was slightly different between the sexes. We recorded weakly expressed sexual size dimorphism: the snout-vent-length of the males was slightly bigger (SDI = -0.01). Sexual maturity was attained between the second and the fourth year of life in both sexes. The age ranged from 3 to 11 years in females and from 3 to 12 years in males. The mean SVL was 65.33 +/- 3.06 mm in females and 66.59 +/- 3.76 mm in males. The mean age was 6.67 +/- 2.63 years in females and 6.47 +/- 2.75 years in males. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age between the sexes.