Abstract

CASTRO, Susana Alejandra; LASPIUR, Alejandro  and  ACOSTA, Juan Carlos. Annual and intrapopulational variation in diet of Phymaturus cf. palluma (Iguania: Liolaemidae) from the Central Andes in Argentina. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2013, vol.84, n.4, pp.1258-1265. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.36050.

Knowledge of the trophic parameters helps to understand the natural history of the species, their ecological requirements and strategies involved in the food acquisition. Therefore, we describe and analyze the diet of Phymaturus cf. palluma regarding to seasonal and intra populational variation. Items were identified according qualitative and quantitative terms. IRI index was estimated as function of volume, numerosity and frequency of items. Percentages of vegetal material and parasitic nematodes in the digestive tract were calculated. Phymaturus cf. palluma present an herbivorous diet based upon vegetative and reproductive plant structures. In adults and juvenile individuals "flowers" were fundamental item. Overall, in male and female adults, flowers of Adesmia pinnifolia were fundamental; however the qualitative similarity among them was low. Trophic amplitude was higher in males than in females. Summers were the more trophic diversity seasons. Significant differences in the "leaves" consumption between seasons were founded. Seasonal competence for food should be low due to the wide spectrum of items in different periods. Phymaturus cf. palluma is a generalist lizard that feeds vegetal material actively.

Keywords : trophic niche; herbivory; reproductive plant structures; vegetative structures; nematodes; generalist.