HOME RANGE SIZE AND OVERLAP IN LIOLAEMUS MULTIMACULATUS (SQUAMATA: LIOLAMIDAE) IN PAMPEAN COASTAL DUNES OF ARGENTINA

KACOLIRIS FEDERICO PABLO; WILLIAMS JORGE DANIEL; RUIZ DE ARCAUTE CELESTE; CASSINO CARLA

South American Journal of Herpetology

Año: 2009 vol. 4 p. 229 - 234

1808-9798

Space use knowledge is fundamental to understand animal ecology and behaviour. The home range represents the space that individuals use to carry out their life cycles. Iguanian lizards are useful subjects for studies of space use, however, in South America; these kinds of studies are scarce. Sand dune lizard (Liolaemus multimaculatus) is endemic to pampean coasts of Buenos Aires and Río Negro Provinces in Argentina. This lizard is categorized as vulnerable species. The aim of this work is to assess home range size and overlap of Sand dune lizard. Study was carried out at Mar Chiquita Provincial Reserve. We registered location, sex and size of lizards. Home range and overlap was calculated using the minimum convex polygon method. Average home range and overlap values for males and females, and relation between home range and size of individuals were assessed. Our results showed similarities with Brazilian sand lizards. Home range size showed some differences between sexes. We do not find any relation between home range and size of individuals. Further studies about lizards’ social system are needed in order to understand the observed patterns.