Natural history of Valentin’s rock lizard(Darevskia valentini) in Armenia

作     者：Eduard Galoyan Alisa Bolshakova Manush Abrahamyan Ruzanna Petrosyan Valeria Komarova Victor Spangenberg Marine Arakelyan 

作者机构：Zoological Museum of the Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityMoscow 125009Russia Department of ZoologyBiological Faculty of Moscow State UniversityMoscow 119992Russia Department of ZoologyBiological Faculty of Yerevan State UniversityYerevan 0025Armenia Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of SciencesMoscow 119071Russia Vavilov Institute of General GeneticsRussian Academy of SciencesMoscow 119991Russia 

出 版 物：《Zoological Research》 (动物学研究（英文）)

年 卷 期：2019年第40卷第4期

页      面：277-292页

核心收录：

学科分类：0710[理学-生物学] 07[理学] 09[农学] 

基　　金：supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research(RFBR)KOMFI 17-00-00430(K)and 17-00-00425 and Arm_a 18-54-05020 Russian National Foundation N14-50-00029 

主　　题：Darevskia valentini Reproduction Population density Skeletochronology Home range Seasonal activity 

摘      要：Valentin s rock lizard (Darevskia valentini) is suggested to be the pare nt for several parthenoge netic species (e.g., D. armeniaca, D. bendimahiensis, D. sapphirina, and D. unisexualis) that evolved through hybridization. Complex evolutionary processes (ineluding reticulate evolution) are occurring within the areas where Valentin s rock lizard coexists with these and other rock lizards. Hence, a detailed biological specification of this species is important for understanding how vertebrates evolve. Valentin s rock lizard is a longlived (up to 9 years), small diurnal lizard with larger females than males, which is unlike other species of the genus. Their relatively large eggs and early reproducti on period, which occurs just after emerge nee from winter shelters, are adaptatio ns for living in a high elevation climate (higher than 2 000 m a.s.l.). Their body temperatures (31 -32℃) are comparable to body temperatures of rock lizards living in milder climates, though female body temperature is more depe ndent on substrate temperature and basking due to their lower activity than that found in males. Population density fluctuates from several individuals to several hundred per hectare and is not affected by parthenogen coexistenee, although hybrids do occur in sexually biased populations where males are more common than females. The male home range is larger than that of females, though these home ranges broadly overlap. Prey is not limited in the mountain meadows and Valentin s rock lizards feed on a great variety of arthropods. Infan ticide occurs in high-de nsity populati ons.