Sexual dimorphism of the body size of a multicolored lizard in the south-eastern Lower Volga

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Abstract

The investigation in the population structure of the western subspecies of the multicolored lizard ( Eremias arguta deserti Gmelin, 1789) was carried out in semi-deserts of the Lower Volga region. The purpose of the study was to find out the features of the population morphometric data. The main research methods: measuring the length of the trunk and tail with an accuracy of up to a millimeter, statistical data processing using the Kolmogorov - Smirnov test in the STATISTICA 12 program. Statistical analysis showed the presence of sexual dimorphism in the population in terms of body parameters: the length of the tail of males is significantly greater than that of females. The calculation of the statistical significance of the differences between the average length of the trunk and the length of the tail confirmed that males and females have longer tails than the trunk. Yet sexually mature males and females do not differ significantly from each other in terms of body size. At the same time, females have a certain variability of morphometric data, which serves as one of the main indicators of intra-population variability.

About the authors

Stanislav S. Mishustin

Main Directorate of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Author for correspondence.
Email: s1kator@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5812-6592

engineer for environmental protection

18 Komsomolskii Prospekt, bldg 3, Moscow, 119021, Russian Federation

Galina V. Polynova

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)

Email: polynova-gv@rudn.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0217-5771

PhD of Biological Science, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Management, Institute of Environmental Engineering

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

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Copyright (c) 2021 Mishustin S.S., Polynova G.V.

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