Age estimation of Anatololacerta anatolica (Werner, 1902) in the vicinity of Çanakkale by skeletochronology

In this study, age estimation using skeletochronology was done in 43 specimens (6 ♂♂, 29 ♀♀, 8 juv.) of Anatololacerta anatolica living in the vicinity of Çanakkale. When the cross-sections taken from phalanges were examined, the median age for the Çanakkale population was 4 years. The maximum age was calculated as 10 years for female individuals, and the maximum snout–vent length (SVL) of female individuals was measured as 74.18 mm. The mean SVL was 57.39 (SD = 4.6) mm for males and 63.62 (SD = 8.62) mm for females. The age at sexual maturity was determined as 3 years for both sexes of this species. As a result of correlation analysis, a strong correlation was found for both males (r: 0.845) and females (r: 0.886) in terms of age and SVL. These specimens were also examined for morphological properties and pholidosis characters.