Herpetology Notes, volume 5: 73-77 (2012) (published online on 21 April 2012)

Interspecific communal oviposition and reproduction of three lizard species in Southeastern Cuba

Yasel U. Alfonso, Pierre Charruau, Gabriel Fajardo1 and Alberto R. Estrada

Abstract. In lizards, conspecific communal oviposition has been observed in various families, but few studies report interspecific communal oviposition (ICO), where individuals from two or more species deposit eggs in the same nest cavity simultaneously. In our research, conducted in summer of 2011 in semi-desertic lowlands of Cardonal town, Southeastern coast of Guantánamo province, Cuba, we found a nest of 20 lizard eggs (12 recently hatched and 8 intact) in a dead, dry agave plant. Non-hatched eggs were collected, measured and incubated at ambient conditions in a plastic box and hatched after 16 to 35 days. Hatchlings appeared to belong to three species of different genera from two families: Sphaerodactylus armasi (Gekkonidae), Tarentola crombiei (Gekkonidae) and Anolis argillaceus (Iguanidae). This work presents new information on the reproduction of these three species and constitutes the first report of ICO involving lizard species from different families.

Keywords. Interspecific communal oviposition, Cuba, Sphaerodactylidae, Gekkonidae, Iguanidae, reproductive ecology. (pdf)