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The Darevskia raddei complex shares mtDNA with five out of seven parthenogenetic Darevskia species. The animal's distribution range includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Türkiye, and it possibly also occurs in Turkmenistan. Despite its evolutionary and ecological importance, this species has not been studied demographically and naturally no comparisons have been made among the parthenogenetic lineages. Here, we document the life history of five D. raddei populations mainly by using skeletochronology. The minimum age for all populations was calculated to be three years old. After three hibernations, they grow beyond 40 mm of snout-vent length. There were significant age differences between sexes in two of the populations studied. However, no body size difference between sexes was calculated in all populations. In some cases age and body size were significantly different between populations. In none of the results there was a relation with the altitude or climate of the distribution area. The average and maximum ages were found to be higher in populations from all studied parthenogenetic species with which D. raddei is related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age structure and body size of the Mediterranean Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758) specimens collected from Akyatan, Adana Province (Turkey) were investigated using the skeletochronology method and the demographic structure was revealed. The mean age was 3.07 years in females and 2.93 years in males. Derived from the LAG configuration, the age at sexual maturity was 1 year in males and 2 years in females. There was no significant correlation between the SVL and age. Moreover, the mean age and SVL were not statistically different between sexes. Results obtained here indicate that C. chamaeleon is one of the short-living lizard species when compared to other lizards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age and growth in two breeding populations of A. danfordi, inhabiting altitudes ranging from 678 m a.s.l. to 1200 m a.s.l. in Turkey, were investigated. The age differences between sexes were not statistically significant in either population. The mean age was calculated as 8.73 ± 2.12 and 8.33 ± 1.8 years in Kozan and 7.25 ± 1.58 and 5.78 ± 1.64 years in Saimbeyli for males and females, respectively. The age distributions of males did not statistically differ between populations, but females in Kozan were significantly older than those in Saimbeyli. The mean snout-vent length (SVL) difference between sexes was not significant in the Kozan population, whereas males were significantly longer than females in Saimbeyli. However, SVL was similar between the populations. Intersexual differences in body size were found to be male-biased for both populations. There was a positive and statistically significant relationship between SVL and age in both populations. This study examines the feasibility of the use of skeletochronology for A. danfordi. It also shows that these populations are getting older and this may endanger the future of A. danfordi in a warming world. Some life history parameters and population structures of A. danfordi are provided in this study but some questions still remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within reptiles, lizards cover less area across the globe than snakes do. One out of every seven known species of lizards in the world is found only in its type locality. Acanthodactylus harranensis Baran, Kumlutaş, Lanza, Sindaco, Ilgaz, Avcı & Crucitti, 2005, is one of these species. It is an endemic lizard species in Turkey with a very small area of occupancy and is listed in the critically endangered category (CR) by the IUCN. Here we document the age structure and body size of A. harranensis using skeletochronological methods for the first time and aim to point out current problems and contribute to an understanding of its demography. The mean age of males was found to be significantly higher than that of females. The maximum life span was 10 years in males while it was 9 years in females. The 8-year-old age group contained a higher number of individuals than any other age group. The mean snout-vent length of specimens was not significantly different between the sexes. As in many other lizards, A. harranensis exhibits a low-level male-biased sexual dimorphism. Acanthodactylus harranensis also displayed a considerably bigger body size than other studied lacertids from Şanlıurfa province. The data presented in this study may contribute to future conservation efforts for this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age structure of Eremias suphani was studied from a high-altitude (2180 m a.s.l.) locality in eastern Turkey. A total of 24 preserved (16♂♂, 7♀♀, and 1 juvenile) specimens were used in this study. According to the skeletochronological analysis, ages ranged from 6 to 9 years (mean: 7.38 ± 0.22 years) in males and from 6 to 10 years (mean: 7.86 ± 0.51 years) in females. Age at maturity was estimated to be 5-6 years for both males and females. The mean snout--vent length was calculated as 60.88 ± 2.61 mm in males and 58.85 ± 2.44 in females. The sexual dimorphism index was calculated as -0.03. The difference between the sexes for both age and size was not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]