373

httpjournalstubitakgovtrzoology

Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool(2015) 39 373-377copy TUumlBİTAKdoi103906zoo-1403-40

Age structure of Hemidactylus turcicus (L 1758) (Sauria Gekkonidae) from southwestern Anatolia (Muğla Turkey)

Betuumll KANAT Cemal Varol TOKDepartment of Biology Zoology Section Faculty of Arts and Sciences Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Terzioğlu Campus Ccedilanakkale Turkey

Correspondence cvtokcomuedutr

1 IntroductionDue to its geographical location Turkey is both a natural bridge and a barrier between the continents of Asia and Europe With 157 amphibian and reptile species Turkey as the intersection point for faunal members coming from different zoogeographical regions has a potential that is almost as rich as that of the continent of Europe (184 species) (Gasc et al 1997 Baran et al 2012)

Hemidactylus turcicus is distributed from the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts to an area including Cyprus and Turkey and reaching as far as India The only subspecies known in Turkey so far has been Hemidactylus turcicus turcicus a nominate subspecies (Başoğlu and Baran 1977 Baran and Gruber 1982) It may occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1000 m in its distributed area (Baran and Atatuumlr 1998 Atatuumlr and Goumlccedilmen 2001) Recently it was recorded from Şanlıurfa and Afyonkarahisar both of which are outside of the known distribution range (Cihan 2007 Uğurtaş et al 2007)

There have been hematological parasitological ecological and feeding biology studies on H turcicus done both in Turkey and abroad (Rose and Barbour 1968 Sevinccedil et al 2004 Turgay and Atatuumlr 1994 Yıldırımhan et al 2008)

Although there has been an increase in studies on the age determination of amphibians and reptiles both worldwide and in Turkey in recent years (Zug and Rand

1987 Buumllbuumll 2002 Ento and Matsui 2002 Sinsch et al 2002 Curtin et al 2005 Erişmiş 2005 Kutrup et al 2005 Pancharatna and Kumbar 2005 Piantoni et al 2006 Uumlzuumlm 2006 Eden et al 2007 Ccediliccedilek 2009 Kolarov et al 2010 Uumlstel 2010 Parlak 2011 Yakın 2012 Yakın et al 2012 Altunışık et al 2013 Arakelyan et al 2013 Kumaş 2013 Erguumll et al 2014 Guumll et al 2014 Uumlzuumlm et al 2014 Yakın and Tok 2014) no age determination study on H turcicus has been encountered

This study aims to determine the age structure of H turcicus from Muğla and the relationship between life history parameters and size In this way basic data will be obtained to allow comparisons to be made in the future with other populations of this species which is distributed in different geographical areas in Turkey

2 Materials and methodsIn total 36 museum specimens (12 18 6 juveniles) of H turcicus collected from Muğla Turkey between 2006 and 2011 and preserved in the collection of ZDEU-COMU (Zoology Department of Ege University-Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University) were used in this study

After the morphological measurements had been obtained from the specimens by using a digital compass sensitive to 001 mm the femora of the left hind limbs were taken and preserved in 70 alcohol To completely purify the bones of alcohol they were washed under tap water

Abstract In this study a total of 36 (12 18 6 juveniles) Hemidactylus turcicus specimens caught in the vicinity of Muğla (Turkey) between 2006 and 2011 were evaluated using the skeletochronology method The mean snout-to-vent length (SVL) was measured as 2845 plusmn 192 mm for juveniles 5053 plusmn 106 mm for males and 511 plusmn 075 mm for females When the cross-sections were examined the age range was determined to be 4ndash8 years in the males and 4ndash9 years in the females Individuals reach sexual maturity in 2ndash3 years The maximum age was calculated as 9 years for a female It was determined that there was a strong positive correlation between SVL and age structure in the male (r = 098) and female (r = 096) individuals

Key words Hemidactylus turcicus age determination skeletochronology Gekkonidae Muğla

Received 21032014 Accepted 04062014 Published Online 04052015 Printed 29052015

Research Article

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

374

and then left in distilled water (dH2O) so as to achieve an ambient pH The bone samples were then left in 5 nitric acid (HNO3) for 4ndash8 h according to the bone size thereby providing the decalcification of the bones The bones that were decalcified at the end of this period were taken out of the nitric acid and washed in running water overnight to ensure the removal of nitric acid Later on tissues were passed through an increasing alcohol series embedded in paraffin blocks and made ready to collect sections (McManus and Mowry 1964) By using a Leica 2125 RT microtome 10-microm sections were obtained from the blocks prepared When collecting the sections attention was paid to the fact that the tissue passes through the diaphyseal region and it was stained with Ehrlichrsquos hematoxylin for histological examinations The preparations were examined under an Olympus CX21 light microscope and photographed under a Zeiss A1 AX10 light microscope by using the Axio Vision Release 48 program

SPSS 200 was employed for descriptive statistical regression and Spearmanrsquos rho correlation analyses For all analyses the level of significance was taken as 005

3 ResultsIn the females the mean snout-to-vent length (SVL) was 5119 plusmn 075 mm with the SVL being in the range of 4605ndash5674 mm In males the mean SVL was 5053 plusmn 106 mm and the SVL ranged from 4305 to 5534 mm In juveniles the mean SVL was 2845 plusmn 192 mm and the SVL was calculated to be in the range of 2411ndash3553 mm (Table 1) According to these results no significant difference in body measurements was observed in the male and female individuals under examination

In the population studied the age range in the males was found to be 4ndash8 years and the median age was 5 years whereas the age range in the females was detected as 4ndash9 years and the median age was 5 years When the female and male individuals were individually evaluated by Spearmanrsquos rho correlation analysis it was seen that there was a strong positive correlation between age and SVL for both sexes When longevity was considered among the specimens whose ages were detected the oldest age was found to be 9 years (in a female) (Figures 1andash1f)

When the femur sections of the specimens were examined 3 specimens of 1-year-old and 3 specimens of 2-year-old juveniles were detected

The values for the age-dependent distribution of SVLs in the H turcicus specimens are provided in Table 2

When the relationship between age and SVL in the females was examined with regression analysis the unstandardized constant coefficient was computed as 4208 and the unstandardized coefficient corresponding to age was computed as 156 Accordingly the formula between age and SVL was determined to be SVL = 4208 + (156 times age) The regression equation was found to be F(116) = 12081 (R2 = 088) According to the results of the linear regression analysis the relationship between age and SVL in the females was statistically significant Spearmanrsquos rho correlation coefficient was computed as rS = 096 (P = 000) According to these results there was a significantly positive correlation between age and SVL

When the relationship between age and SVL was examined in the males by regression analysis the unstandardized constant coefficient was computed as 3706 and the unstandardized coefficient corresponding to age as 237 Accordingly the formula between age and SVL was determined to be SVL = 3706 + (237 times age) The regression equation was found to be F (110) = 6288 (R2 = 086) According to the results of the linear regression analysis the relationship between age and SVL in the males was statistically significant Spearmanrsquos rho correlation coefficient was computed as rS = 0977 (P = 000) According to these results there was a significantly positive correlation between age and SVL

4 DiscussionVery few studies carried out in this area have been encountered regarding the species belonging to family Gekkonidae to which the H turcicus specimens used in this study also belong

Selcer (1986) stated that the size at reaching sexual maturity for females ranged from 44 to 45 mm in H turcicus specimens inhabiting the southern region of Texas In the same study individuals with a length of 50 mm were reported to be about 2 years old In our study however a female specimen with a length of 50 mm was found to be

Table 1 Descriptive statistics of SVL of Hemidactylus turcicus (N number of specimens Min minimum Max maximum SE standard error SD standard deviation)

Sex N Mean (mm) Min (mm) Max (mm) SE SD

18 5119 4605 5674 075 318 12 5053 4305 5534 106 367Juv 6 2845 2411 3553 192 472

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

375

5 years old In addition Rose and Barbour (1968) stated that in the H turcicus specimens widely distributed in the southern region of the United States females underwent maturity in the winter or spring months of the second year after hatching In their study the age of sexual maturity for females approximately corresponded to 18 months On the other hand the age of sexual maturity in our study was determined to be 2ndash3 years

In a study on specimens of H brooki the age range of the individuals was found to be 0ndash4 years (Pancharatna and Kumbar 2005) This range was detected as 1ndash9 years in our study On the other hand in the study with H brooki the age was found to be in the range of 1ndash2 years in 80 of the specimens

Piantoni et al (2006) examined specimens of Homonata darwini from the family Gekkonidae and determined that the longevity of this species was 17 years They found that the age range in juvenile specimens was 2ndash8 years whereas the age range of juveniles was 1ndash2 years in our study The age range in the adult male individuals was determined to be 9ndash14 years however this value was found to be 4ndash8 years in our study The age range of the adult female individuals varied between 5 and 17 years in the H darwini specimens while this range was 4ndash9 years in the present study The age of sexual maturity of the species varied in females and males as in the lacertid specimens In the individuals of Homonata darwini the age of maturity was found to be 5 years for females but 9 years for males In

a

b

1

1

mc

1

2

2

2

2

3

3

mc eb 1

2 3

3

3

1

eb mc

c d

e f

4

eb mc

4

34

24 4

5

23345

5

5

1

eb

mc

6

6

eb

mc 3455

6

7

67 8 9

Figure 1 Cross-sections of the femur diaphysis a) 1-year-old juvenile b) 4-year-old femalec) 5-year-old male d) 6-year-old male e) 7-year-old female f) 9-year-old female mc medullar cavity eb endosteal bone O double LAG LAG

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

376

our study however the age of maturity was found to be 2ndash3 years for both sexes

There are many skeletochronological studies on other lizard species Longevity is different for each different species and the age range was estimated as 2ndash5 years for Phrynocephalus horvathi (Ccediliccedilek et al 2012) 2ndash10 years for Laudakia stellio (Kumaş 2013) 3ndash8 years for Iguana iguana (Zug and Rand 1987) 2ndash10 years for Pristidactylus achalensis (Sinsch et al 2002) 2ndash4 () and 2ndash3 () years for Lacerta agilis (Guarino et al 2010) 3ndash5 () and 3ndash10 () years for Anatololacerta anatolica (Yakın 2012) 4ndash8 years for Parvilacerta parva (Yakın et al 2012) and 1ndash4 (Ccedilanakkale) and 1ndash6 (Goumlkccedileada) years for Ophisops elegans (Parlak and Tok 2013)

We are of the opinion that these results might be used as basic data in the systematic and ecological studies to be made with H turcicus in the future It is thought that it is important to carry out age studies so as to have precise information on the protection and ecology of species

Acknowledgements This study was produced from the MSc thesis of the first author and supported by the Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Projects Commission (BAP 201354) We would like to thank S Hayretdağ M Guumlrkan and BY Yakın for scientific support

Table 2 Relationship between age and SVL of H turcicus (N number of specimensMin minimum Max maximum SE standard error SD standard deviation)

Age N Mean (mm) Min (mm) Max (mm) SE SD

JuvenileI 3 2492 2411 2600 056 097II 3 3199 2740 3553 240 416

IV 3 4615 4305 4792 155 269V 3 4902 4838 4991 045 079VI 3 5185 5144 5224 023 040VII 1 5487 5487 5487 - -VIII 2 5522 5510 5534 012 016

IV 7 4783 4605 4935 037 099V 3 5137 5035 5204 051 089VI 1 5233 5233 5233 - -VII 2 5290 5274 5306 016 022VIII 3 5373 5308 5436 036 064IX 2 5658 5643 5674 015 021

References

Altunışık A Guumll Ccedil Oumlzdemir N Tosunoğlu M Erguumll T (2013) Age structure and body size of the Strauchrsquos racerunner Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler 1878 Turk J Zool 37 539ndash543

Arakelyan M Petrosyan R Ilgaz Ccedil Kumlutaş Y Durmuş SH Tayhan Y Danielyan F (2013) A skeletochronological study of parthenogenetic lizards of genus Darevskia from Turkey Acta Herpetol 8 99ndash104

Atatuumlr MK Goumlccedilmen B (2001) Kuzey Kıbrısrsquoın Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenleri İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 170 (in Turkish)

Baran İ Atatuumlr MK (1998) Tuumlrkiye Herpetofaunası (Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenler) Ankara Turkey Ccedilevre Bakanlığı (in Turkish)

Baran İ Gruber U (1982) Taxonomische Untersuchungen an Tuumlrkischen Gekkoniden Spixiana 5 109ndash138 (in German)

Baran İ Ilgaz Ccedil Avcı A Kumlutaş Y Olgun K (2012) Tuumlrkiye Amfibi ve Suumlruumlngenleri Ankara Turkey TUumlBİTAK (in Turkish)

Başoğlu M Baran İ (1977) Tuumlrkiye Suumlruumlngenleri Kısım 1 Kaplumbağa ve Kertenkeleler İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 76 (in Turkish)

Buumllbuumll U (2002) Trabzonrsquoda Farklı Rakımlardaki İki Triturus vittatus ophryticus Populasyonunun Yaş Yapısının ve Bazı Buumlyuumlme Parametrelerinin İncelenmesi MSc Karadeniz Technical University Trabzon Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K (2009) Uludağ (Bursa)rsquoda Yaşayan Rana macrocnemis Boulenger 1885 (Anura Ranidae)rsquo in Populasyon Dinamiği PhD Ege University İzmir Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K Kumaş M Ayaz D Tok CV (2012) Preliminary data on the age structure of Phrynocephalus horvathi in Mount Ararat (Northeastern Anatolia Turkey) Biharean Biologist 6 112ndash115

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

374

and then left in distilled water (dH2O) so as to achieve an ambient pH The bone samples were then left in 5 nitric acid (HNO3) for 4ndash8 h according to the bone size thereby providing the decalcification of the bones The bones that were decalcified at the end of this period were taken out of the nitric acid and washed in running water overnight to ensure the removal of nitric acid Later on tissues were passed through an increasing alcohol series embedded in paraffin blocks and made ready to collect sections (McManus and Mowry 1964) By using a Leica 2125 RT microtome 10-microm sections were obtained from the blocks prepared When collecting the sections attention was paid to the fact that the tissue passes through the diaphyseal region and it was stained with Ehrlichrsquos hematoxylin for histological examinations The preparations were examined under an Olympus CX21 light microscope and photographed under a Zeiss A1 AX10 light microscope by using the Axio Vision Release 48 program

SPSS 200 was employed for descriptive statistical regression and Spearmanrsquos rho correlation analyses For all analyses the level of significance was taken as 005

3 ResultsIn the females the mean snout-to-vent length (SVL) was 5119 plusmn 075 mm with the SVL being in the range of 4605ndash5674 mm In males the mean SVL was 5053 plusmn 106 mm and the SVL ranged from 4305 to 5534 mm In juveniles the mean SVL was 2845 plusmn 192 mm and the SVL was calculated to be in the range of 2411ndash3553 mm (Table 1) According to these results no significant difference in body measurements was observed in the male and female individuals under examination

In the population studied the age range in the males was found to be 4ndash8 years and the median age was 5 years whereas the age range in the females was detected as 4ndash9 years and the median age was 5 years When the female and male individuals were individually evaluated by Spearmanrsquos rho correlation analysis it was seen that there was a strong positive correlation between age and SVL for both sexes When longevity was considered among the specimens whose ages were detected the oldest age was found to be 9 years (in a female) (Figures 1andash1f)

When the femur sections of the specimens were examined 3 specimens of 1-year-old and 3 specimens of 2-year-old juveniles were detected

The values for the age-dependent distribution of SVLs in the H turcicus specimens are provided in Table 2

When the relationship between age and SVL in the females was examined with regression analysis the unstandardized constant coefficient was computed as 4208 and the unstandardized coefficient corresponding to age was computed as 156 Accordingly the formula between age and SVL was determined to be SVL = 4208 + (156 times age) The regression equation was found to be F(116) = 12081 (R2 = 088) According to the results of the linear regression analysis the relationship between age and SVL in the females was statistically significant Spearmanrsquos rho correlation coefficient was computed as rS = 096 (P = 000) According to these results there was a significantly positive correlation between age and SVL

When the relationship between age and SVL was examined in the males by regression analysis the unstandardized constant coefficient was computed as 3706 and the unstandardized coefficient corresponding to age as 237 Accordingly the formula between age and SVL was determined to be SVL = 3706 + (237 times age) The regression equation was found to be F (110) = 6288 (R2 = 086) According to the results of the linear regression analysis the relationship between age and SVL in the males was statistically significant Spearmanrsquos rho correlation coefficient was computed as rS = 0977 (P = 000) According to these results there was a significantly positive correlation between age and SVL

4 DiscussionVery few studies carried out in this area have been encountered regarding the species belonging to family Gekkonidae to which the H turcicus specimens used in this study also belong

Selcer (1986) stated that the size at reaching sexual maturity for females ranged from 44 to 45 mm in H turcicus specimens inhabiting the southern region of Texas In the same study individuals with a length of 50 mm were reported to be about 2 years old In our study however a female specimen with a length of 50 mm was found to be

Table 1 Descriptive statistics of SVL of Hemidactylus turcicus (N number of specimens Min minimum Max maximum SE standard error SD standard deviation)

Sex N Mean (mm) Min (mm) Max (mm) SE SD

18 5119 4605 5674 075 318 12 5053 4305 5534 106 367Juv 6 2845 2411 3553 192 472

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

375

5 years old In addition Rose and Barbour (1968) stated that in the H turcicus specimens widely distributed in the southern region of the United States females underwent maturity in the winter or spring months of the second year after hatching In their study the age of sexual maturity for females approximately corresponded to 18 months On the other hand the age of sexual maturity in our study was determined to be 2ndash3 years

In a study on specimens of H brooki the age range of the individuals was found to be 0ndash4 years (Pancharatna and Kumbar 2005) This range was detected as 1ndash9 years in our study On the other hand in the study with H brooki the age was found to be in the range of 1ndash2 years in 80 of the specimens

Piantoni et al (2006) examined specimens of Homonata darwini from the family Gekkonidae and determined that the longevity of this species was 17 years They found that the age range in juvenile specimens was 2ndash8 years whereas the age range of juveniles was 1ndash2 years in our study The age range in the adult male individuals was determined to be 9ndash14 years however this value was found to be 4ndash8 years in our study The age range of the adult female individuals varied between 5 and 17 years in the H darwini specimens while this range was 4ndash9 years in the present study The age of sexual maturity of the species varied in females and males as in the lacertid specimens In the individuals of Homonata darwini the age of maturity was found to be 5 years for females but 9 years for males In

a

b

1

1

mc

1

2

2

2

2

3

3

mc eb 1

2 3

3

3

1

eb mc

c d

e f

4

eb mc

4

34

24 4

5

23345

5

5

1

eb

mc

6

6

eb

mc 3455

6

7

67 8 9

Figure 1 Cross-sections of the femur diaphysis a) 1-year-old juvenile b) 4-year-old femalec) 5-year-old male d) 6-year-old male e) 7-year-old female f) 9-year-old female mc medullar cavity eb endosteal bone O double LAG LAG

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

376

our study however the age of maturity was found to be 2ndash3 years for both sexes

There are many skeletochronological studies on other lizard species Longevity is different for each different species and the age range was estimated as 2ndash5 years for Phrynocephalus horvathi (Ccediliccedilek et al 2012) 2ndash10 years for Laudakia stellio (Kumaş 2013) 3ndash8 years for Iguana iguana (Zug and Rand 1987) 2ndash10 years for Pristidactylus achalensis (Sinsch et al 2002) 2ndash4 () and 2ndash3 () years for Lacerta agilis (Guarino et al 2010) 3ndash5 () and 3ndash10 () years for Anatololacerta anatolica (Yakın 2012) 4ndash8 years for Parvilacerta parva (Yakın et al 2012) and 1ndash4 (Ccedilanakkale) and 1ndash6 (Goumlkccedileada) years for Ophisops elegans (Parlak and Tok 2013)

We are of the opinion that these results might be used as basic data in the systematic and ecological studies to be made with H turcicus in the future It is thought that it is important to carry out age studies so as to have precise information on the protection and ecology of species

Acknowledgements This study was produced from the MSc thesis of the first author and supported by the Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Projects Commission (BAP 201354) We would like to thank S Hayretdağ M Guumlrkan and BY Yakın for scientific support

Table 2 Relationship between age and SVL of H turcicus (N number of specimensMin minimum Max maximum SE standard error SD standard deviation)

Age N Mean (mm) Min (mm) Max (mm) SE SD

JuvenileI 3 2492 2411 2600 056 097II 3 3199 2740 3553 240 416

IV 3 4615 4305 4792 155 269V 3 4902 4838 4991 045 079VI 3 5185 5144 5224 023 040VII 1 5487 5487 5487 - -VIII 2 5522 5510 5534 012 016

IV 7 4783 4605 4935 037 099V 3 5137 5035 5204 051 089VI 1 5233 5233 5233 - -VII 2 5290 5274 5306 016 022VIII 3 5373 5308 5436 036 064IX 2 5658 5643 5674 015 021

References

Altunışık A Guumll Ccedil Oumlzdemir N Tosunoğlu M Erguumll T (2013) Age structure and body size of the Strauchrsquos racerunner Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler 1878 Turk J Zool 37 539ndash543

Arakelyan M Petrosyan R Ilgaz Ccedil Kumlutaş Y Durmuş SH Tayhan Y Danielyan F (2013) A skeletochronological study of parthenogenetic lizards of genus Darevskia from Turkey Acta Herpetol 8 99ndash104

Atatuumlr MK Goumlccedilmen B (2001) Kuzey Kıbrısrsquoın Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenleri İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 170 (in Turkish)

Baran İ Atatuumlr MK (1998) Tuumlrkiye Herpetofaunası (Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenler) Ankara Turkey Ccedilevre Bakanlığı (in Turkish)

Baran İ Gruber U (1982) Taxonomische Untersuchungen an Tuumlrkischen Gekkoniden Spixiana 5 109ndash138 (in German)

Baran İ Ilgaz Ccedil Avcı A Kumlutaş Y Olgun K (2012) Tuumlrkiye Amfibi ve Suumlruumlngenleri Ankara Turkey TUumlBİTAK (in Turkish)

Başoğlu M Baran İ (1977) Tuumlrkiye Suumlruumlngenleri Kısım 1 Kaplumbağa ve Kertenkeleler İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 76 (in Turkish)

Buumllbuumll U (2002) Trabzonrsquoda Farklı Rakımlardaki İki Triturus vittatus ophryticus Populasyonunun Yaş Yapısının ve Bazı Buumlyuumlme Parametrelerinin İncelenmesi MSc Karadeniz Technical University Trabzon Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K (2009) Uludağ (Bursa)rsquoda Yaşayan Rana macrocnemis Boulenger 1885 (Anura Ranidae)rsquo in Populasyon Dinamiği PhD Ege University İzmir Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K Kumaş M Ayaz D Tok CV (2012) Preliminary data on the age structure of Phrynocephalus horvathi in Mount Ararat (Northeastern Anatolia Turkey) Biharean Biologist 6 112ndash115

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

375

5 years old In addition Rose and Barbour (1968) stated that in the H turcicus specimens widely distributed in the southern region of the United States females underwent maturity in the winter or spring months of the second year after hatching In their study the age of sexual maturity for females approximately corresponded to 18 months On the other hand the age of sexual maturity in our study was determined to be 2ndash3 years

In a study on specimens of H brooki the age range of the individuals was found to be 0ndash4 years (Pancharatna and Kumbar 2005) This range was detected as 1ndash9 years in our study On the other hand in the study with H brooki the age was found to be in the range of 1ndash2 years in 80 of the specimens

Piantoni et al (2006) examined specimens of Homonata darwini from the family Gekkonidae and determined that the longevity of this species was 17 years They found that the age range in juvenile specimens was 2ndash8 years whereas the age range of juveniles was 1ndash2 years in our study The age range in the adult male individuals was determined to be 9ndash14 years however this value was found to be 4ndash8 years in our study The age range of the adult female individuals varied between 5 and 17 years in the H darwini specimens while this range was 4ndash9 years in the present study The age of sexual maturity of the species varied in females and males as in the lacertid specimens In the individuals of Homonata darwini the age of maturity was found to be 5 years for females but 9 years for males In

a

b

1

1

mc

1

2

2

2

2

3

3

mc eb 1

2 3

3

3

1

eb mc

c d

e f

4

eb mc

4

34

24 4

5

23345

5

5

1

eb

mc

6

6

eb

mc 3455

6

7

67 8 9

Figure 1 Cross-sections of the femur diaphysis a) 1-year-old juvenile b) 4-year-old femalec) 5-year-old male d) 6-year-old male e) 7-year-old female f) 9-year-old female mc medullar cavity eb endosteal bone O double LAG LAG

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

376

our study however the age of maturity was found to be 2ndash3 years for both sexes

There are many skeletochronological studies on other lizard species Longevity is different for each different species and the age range was estimated as 2ndash5 years for Phrynocephalus horvathi (Ccediliccedilek et al 2012) 2ndash10 years for Laudakia stellio (Kumaş 2013) 3ndash8 years for Iguana iguana (Zug and Rand 1987) 2ndash10 years for Pristidactylus achalensis (Sinsch et al 2002) 2ndash4 () and 2ndash3 () years for Lacerta agilis (Guarino et al 2010) 3ndash5 () and 3ndash10 () years for Anatololacerta anatolica (Yakın 2012) 4ndash8 years for Parvilacerta parva (Yakın et al 2012) and 1ndash4 (Ccedilanakkale) and 1ndash6 (Goumlkccedileada) years for Ophisops elegans (Parlak and Tok 2013)

We are of the opinion that these results might be used as basic data in the systematic and ecological studies to be made with H turcicus in the future It is thought that it is important to carry out age studies so as to have precise information on the protection and ecology of species

Acknowledgements This study was produced from the MSc thesis of the first author and supported by the Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Projects Commission (BAP 201354) We would like to thank S Hayretdağ M Guumlrkan and BY Yakın for scientific support

Table 2 Relationship between age and SVL of H turcicus (N number of specimensMin minimum Max maximum SE standard error SD standard deviation)

Age N Mean (mm) Min (mm) Max (mm) SE SD

JuvenileI 3 2492 2411 2600 056 097II 3 3199 2740 3553 240 416

IV 3 4615 4305 4792 155 269V 3 4902 4838 4991 045 079VI 3 5185 5144 5224 023 040VII 1 5487 5487 5487 - -VIII 2 5522 5510 5534 012 016

IV 7 4783 4605 4935 037 099V 3 5137 5035 5204 051 089VI 1 5233 5233 5233 - -VII 2 5290 5274 5306 016 022VIII 3 5373 5308 5436 036 064IX 2 5658 5643 5674 015 021

References

Altunışık A Guumll Ccedil Oumlzdemir N Tosunoğlu M Erguumll T (2013) Age structure and body size of the Strauchrsquos racerunner Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler 1878 Turk J Zool 37 539ndash543

Arakelyan M Petrosyan R Ilgaz Ccedil Kumlutaş Y Durmuş SH Tayhan Y Danielyan F (2013) A skeletochronological study of parthenogenetic lizards of genus Darevskia from Turkey Acta Herpetol 8 99ndash104

Atatuumlr MK Goumlccedilmen B (2001) Kuzey Kıbrısrsquoın Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenleri İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 170 (in Turkish)

Baran İ Atatuumlr MK (1998) Tuumlrkiye Herpetofaunası (Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenler) Ankara Turkey Ccedilevre Bakanlığı (in Turkish)

Baran İ Gruber U (1982) Taxonomische Untersuchungen an Tuumlrkischen Gekkoniden Spixiana 5 109ndash138 (in German)

Baran İ Ilgaz Ccedil Avcı A Kumlutaş Y Olgun K (2012) Tuumlrkiye Amfibi ve Suumlruumlngenleri Ankara Turkey TUumlBİTAK (in Turkish)

Başoğlu M Baran İ (1977) Tuumlrkiye Suumlruumlngenleri Kısım 1 Kaplumbağa ve Kertenkeleler İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 76 (in Turkish)

Buumllbuumll U (2002) Trabzonrsquoda Farklı Rakımlardaki İki Triturus vittatus ophryticus Populasyonunun Yaş Yapısının ve Bazı Buumlyuumlme Parametrelerinin İncelenmesi MSc Karadeniz Technical University Trabzon Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K (2009) Uludağ (Bursa)rsquoda Yaşayan Rana macrocnemis Boulenger 1885 (Anura Ranidae)rsquo in Populasyon Dinamiği PhD Ege University İzmir Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K Kumaş M Ayaz D Tok CV (2012) Preliminary data on the age structure of Phrynocephalus horvathi in Mount Ararat (Northeastern Anatolia Turkey) Biharean Biologist 6 112ndash115

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

376

our study however the age of maturity was found to be 2ndash3 years for both sexes

There are many skeletochronological studies on other lizard species Longevity is different for each different species and the age range was estimated as 2ndash5 years for Phrynocephalus horvathi (Ccediliccedilek et al 2012) 2ndash10 years for Laudakia stellio (Kumaş 2013) 3ndash8 years for Iguana iguana (Zug and Rand 1987) 2ndash10 years for Pristidactylus achalensis (Sinsch et al 2002) 2ndash4 () and 2ndash3 () years for Lacerta agilis (Guarino et al 2010) 3ndash5 () and 3ndash10 () years for Anatololacerta anatolica (Yakın 2012) 4ndash8 years for Parvilacerta parva (Yakın et al 2012) and 1ndash4 (Ccedilanakkale) and 1ndash6 (Goumlkccedileada) years for Ophisops elegans (Parlak and Tok 2013)

We are of the opinion that these results might be used as basic data in the systematic and ecological studies to be made with H turcicus in the future It is thought that it is important to carry out age studies so as to have precise information on the protection and ecology of species

Acknowledgements This study was produced from the MSc thesis of the first author and supported by the Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Scientific Research Projects Commission (BAP 201354) We would like to thank S Hayretdağ M Guumlrkan and BY Yakın for scientific support

Table 2 Relationship between age and SVL of H turcicus (N number of specimensMin minimum Max maximum SE standard error SD standard deviation)

Age N Mean (mm) Min (mm) Max (mm) SE SD

JuvenileI 3 2492 2411 2600 056 097II 3 3199 2740 3553 240 416

IV 3 4615 4305 4792 155 269V 3 4902 4838 4991 045 079VI 3 5185 5144 5224 023 040VII 1 5487 5487 5487 - -VIII 2 5522 5510 5534 012 016

IV 7 4783 4605 4935 037 099V 3 5137 5035 5204 051 089VI 1 5233 5233 5233 - -VII 2 5290 5274 5306 016 022VIII 3 5373 5308 5436 036 064IX 2 5658 5643 5674 015 021

References

Altunışık A Guumll Ccedil Oumlzdemir N Tosunoğlu M Erguumll T (2013) Age structure and body size of the Strauchrsquos racerunner Eremias strauchi strauchi Kessler 1878 Turk J Zool 37 539ndash543

Arakelyan M Petrosyan R Ilgaz Ccedil Kumlutaş Y Durmuş SH Tayhan Y Danielyan F (2013) A skeletochronological study of parthenogenetic lizards of genus Darevskia from Turkey Acta Herpetol 8 99ndash104

Atatuumlr MK Goumlccedilmen B (2001) Kuzey Kıbrısrsquoın Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenleri İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 170 (in Turkish)

Baran İ Atatuumlr MK (1998) Tuumlrkiye Herpetofaunası (Kurbağa ve Suumlruumlngenler) Ankara Turkey Ccedilevre Bakanlığı (in Turkish)

Baran İ Gruber U (1982) Taxonomische Untersuchungen an Tuumlrkischen Gekkoniden Spixiana 5 109ndash138 (in German)

Baran İ Ilgaz Ccedil Avcı A Kumlutaş Y Olgun K (2012) Tuumlrkiye Amfibi ve Suumlruumlngenleri Ankara Turkey TUumlBİTAK (in Turkish)

Başoğlu M Baran İ (1977) Tuumlrkiye Suumlruumlngenleri Kısım 1 Kaplumbağa ve Kertenkeleler İzmir Turkey Ege Uumlniversitesi Fen Fakuumlltesi Kitaplar Serisi No 76 (in Turkish)

Buumllbuumll U (2002) Trabzonrsquoda Farklı Rakımlardaki İki Triturus vittatus ophryticus Populasyonunun Yaş Yapısının ve Bazı Buumlyuumlme Parametrelerinin İncelenmesi MSc Karadeniz Technical University Trabzon Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K (2009) Uludağ (Bursa)rsquoda Yaşayan Rana macrocnemis Boulenger 1885 (Anura Ranidae)rsquo in Populasyon Dinamiği PhD Ege University İzmir Turkey (in Turkish)

Ccediliccedilek K Kumaş M Ayaz D Tok CV (2012) Preliminary data on the age structure of Phrynocephalus horvathi in Mount Ararat (Northeastern Anatolia Turkey) Biharean Biologist 6 112ndash115

KANAT and TOK Turk J Zool

377

Cihan D (2007) Akşehir-Eber Kapalı Havzasırsquo nın Herpetofaunası MSc Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Ccedilanakkale Turkey (in Turkish)

Curtin A Mouton PFN Chinsamy A (2005) Bone growth patterns in two cordylid lizards Cordylus cataphractus and Pseudocordylus capensis Afr Zool 40 1ndash7

Eden CJ Whiteman HH Duobinis-Gray L Wissinger SA (2007) Accuracy assessment of skeletochronology in the Arizona tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum) Copeia 2007 471ndash477

Ento K Matsui M (2002) Estimation of age structure by skeletochronology of a population of Hynobius nebulosus in a breeding season (Amphibia Urodela) Zool Sci 19 241ndash247

Erguumll T Oumlzdemir N Guumll Ccedil Tosunoğlu M (2014) Variation in body size and age structure of Laudakia stellio (Linnaeus 1758) from Turkey Acta Zool Bulgar 66 65ndash72

Erişmiş UC (2005) Goumlller Boumllgesi Rana ridibunda (Anura Ranidae) Populasyonlarında Yaş - Boy Baş - Ağırlık ve Boy - Ağırlık İlişkilerinin Araştırılması PhD Ege University İzmir Turkey (in Turkish)

Gasc JP Cabela A Crnobrnja-Isailovic J Dolmen D Grossenbacher K Haffner P Lescure J Martens H Martiacutenez Rica JP Maurin H et al (1997) Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Europe Collection Patrimoines Naturels 29 Paris France Societas Europaea Herpetologica Museacuteum National drsquoHistoire Naturelle amp Service du Petrimone Naturel

Guumll S Oumlzdemir N Kumlutaş Y Ilgaz Ccedil (2014) Age structure and body size in three populations of Darevskia rudis (Bedriaga 1886) from different altitudes Herpetozoa 26 151ndash158

Kolarov TN Vljevic LK Polovic LDG Kalezic ML (2010) The body size age structure and growth pattern of the endemic Balkan Mosor Rock Lizard (Dinolacerta mosorensis kolombatovich 1886) Acta Zool Hung 56 55ndash71

Kumaş M (2013) Tuumlrkiyersquodeki Laudakia stellio (Linnaeus 1758) (Reptilia Sauria Agamidae) Populasyonlarında Yaş Tayini ve Uzun Kemik Histolojisi PhD Ege University İzmir Turkey (in Turkish)

Kutrup B Buumllbuumll U Yılmaz N (2005) Age structure in two populations of Triturus vittatus ophryticus at different altitudes Amphibia-Reptilia 26 49ndash54

McManus JFA Mowry RW (1964) Staining Methods Histologic and Histochemical 1st ed London UK A Hoeber International Reprint

Pancharatna K Kumbar SM (2005) Bone growth marks in tropical wall lizard Hemidactylus brooki Russian Journal of Herpetology 12 107ndash110

Parlak S (2011) Goumlkccedileada ve Ccedilanakkale Civarında Yaşayan Ophisops elegans Megravenegravetriegraves 1832 (Sauria Lacertidae) Populasyonlarında Yaş Tayini MSc Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Ccedilanakkale Turkey (in Turkish)

Parlak S Tok CV (2013) Age estimation of the populations of Ophisops elegans Megravenegravetrıegraves 1832 (Sauria Lacertidae) in the vicinity of Ccedilanakkale and Goumlkccedileada (İmbros) Anadolu Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi 4 79ndash93 (in Turkish with English abstract)

Piantoni C Ibarguumlengoytiacutea NR Cussac VE (2006) Growth and age of the southernmost nocturnal gecko Homonota darwini A skeletochronological assessment Amphibia-Reptilia 27 393ndash400

Rose FL Barbour CD (1968) Ecology and reproductive cycles of the introduced gecko Hemidactylus turcicus in the southern United States Am Midl Nat 79 159ndash168

Selcer WK (1986) Life history of a successful colonizer the Mediterranean gecko Hemidactylus turcicus in southern Texas Copeia 1986 956ndash962

Sevinccedil M Uğurtaş İH Yıldırımhan HS (2004) Morphological observations on the erythrocyte and erythrocyte size of some gecko species Turkey Asiatic Herpetological Research 10 217ndash223

Sinsch U Martino AL Tada IE (2002) Longevity and sexual size dimorphism of the Pampa de Achala Copper Lizard Pristidactylus achalensis (Gallardo 1964) Amphibia-Reptilia 23 177ndash190

Turgay F Atatuumlr MK (1994) Feeding biology in Hemidactylus turcicus (Lacertilia Gekkonidae) populations of the İzmir region Turk J Zool 18 123ndash129

Uğurtaş İH Yıldırımhan HS Sevinccedil M (2007) Distribution of the Gekkonidae species in Southeast Anatolia Turkey and new localities Turk J Zool 31 137ndash141

Uumlstel S (2010) Ccedilanakkale Civarındaki Lacerta trilineata Bedriaga 1886 (Sauria Lacertidae) Populasyonlarının Taksonomisi ve Biyolojisi MSc Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Ccedilanakkale Turkey (in Turkish)

Uumlzuumlm N (2006) Tuumlrkiyersquodeki Triturus karelinii (STRAUCH 1870) (Urodela Salamandridae) Populasyonlarında Yaş Tayini Populasyonların Buumlyuumlme Yaş ve Boy Bakımından Karşılaştırılması PhD Adnan Menderes University Aydın Turkey (in Turkish)

Uumlzuumlm N Ilgaz Ccedil Kumlutaş Y Guumlmuumlş Ccedil Avcı A (2014) The body size age structure and growth of Boscrsquos fringe-toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus (Daudin 1802) Turk J Zool 38 383ndash388

Yakın BY (2012) Ccedilanakkale Civarında Yaşayan Anatololacerta anatolica (Werner 1902) (Reptilia Sauria Lacertidae) Oumlrneklerinde Yaş Tayini MSc Ccedilanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Ccedilanakkale Turkey (in Turkish)

Yakın BY Guumlrkan M Hayretdağ S Tok CV (2012) Preliminary data on age estimation and body size of the dwarf lizard Parvilacerta parva (Boulenger 1887) (Reptilia Lacertilia) from Akşehir Konya (Turkey) Ecologia Balkanica 4 81ndash85

Yakın BY Tok CV (2014) Age estimation of Anatololacerta anatolica (Werner 1902) in the vicinity of Ccedilanakkale by skeletochronology Turk J Zool 39 66-73

Yıldırımhan HS Suumlmer N Yılmaz N (2008) Hatayrsquodan Toplanan Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus 1758) (Geniş Parmaklı Keler)rsquoin Helmint Faunası Tuumlrkiye Parazitoloji Dergisi 32 393ndash395 (in Turkish)

Zug ZR Rand SA (1987) Estimation of age in nesting female Iguana iguana testing skeletochronology in a tropical lizard Ampibia-Reptilia 8 237ndash250