Abstract
This study assessed the diet of the Neotropical lizard Liolaemus polystictus from Huancavelica region in the Peruvian central Andes. The diet composition was identified from 54 sample stomach contents. Percentage of vegetable content was higher than the animal one (V% animal content= 22.97 and V% vegetable content= 77.03), and arthropods were the highest animal content with ten foods items. Within the animal content, Coleoptera were the most representative (N%= 32.05, FO= 59.26 and V%= 41.36%). No animal category showed high IRI values to be considered fundamental. There were not significant differences on prey selection between males, females and juveniles, and on vegetal volumetric contents between adults and juveniles. However, vegetal volumetric contents were significantly different between males and females. Significant differences were found between prey length, width and volume and L. polystictus male head width (AC). Finally, we propose L. polystictus to be considered an herbivorous species, which bring to eight the number of species in the L. montanus group that feed mainly on vegetation.
| Translated title of the contribution | Diet of the neotropical lizard Liolaemus polystictus (Squamata: Liolaemidae) from the central Andes, Huancavelica, Peru |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Pages (from-to) | 339-348 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Revista Peruana de Biologia |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 31 Aug 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Los autores agradecen al Vicerrectorado de Investigaci?n y Posgrado de la UNMSM por las facilidades brindadas para llevar a cabo este estudio y a nuestros colegas del Departamento de Herpetolog?a por los aportes y cr?ticas constructivas a una primera versi?n del manuscrito. Al profesor Carlos Mendoza por facilitar el acceso al laboratorio de Zoolog?a, FCB-UNMSM. CAP agradece de manera especial el apoyo en el trabajo de campo de Vladimir D?az, Frank Huari, V?ctor Vargas y Ernesto Castillo. Los autores agradecen al editor asociado por sus comentarios y sugerencias que mejoraron significativamente nuestro manuscrito. El trabajo de campo de DOJ recibi? apoyo del Vicerrectorado de Investigaci?n de la UNMSM. El trabajo de campo de CAP fue financiado por la Waitt Foundation-National Geographic Society, n?mero W195-11; y US National Science Foundation-Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, n?mero 1501187.