The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.
ISSN 0268-0130
2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.
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pp. 143-150
Authors: Thiago Maia-Carneiro, Tatiana Motta-Tavares & Carlos Frederico Duarte Rocha
Abstract: Here, we investigate influences of body sizes, ontogeny and body temperatures on components of trophic niche dimensions of syntopic Tropidurus hispidus and T. semitaeniatus lizards in northeastern Brazil. Divergences in body dimensions allowed differential food consumption between the species and within T. semitaeniatus, which may decrease overlaps in niche
dimensions. Ants, termites, beetles and flowers were important food items for both species, as are typically found in Tropidurus.
Tropidurus semitaeniatus consumed more plant material as lizards grew in body size, suggesting that consuming such food
might be nutritionally and energetically advantageous. A relationship between total food volume and body temperature in T.
semitaeniatus may have been associated with requirements for food acquisition and digestion.
Keywords: body size, body temperature, diet, herbivory, niche segregation, ontogeny