Home Ranges in Liolaemus espinozai (Squamata: Liolaemidae) in Campo El Arenal, Catamarca, Argentina

Abstract

The home range of an animal is the area where it carries out its daily activities, its size changing depending on the needs of individuals. Liolaemus espinozai is an endemic species of about 57.9 mm snout-vent length, with a distribution restricted to Campo El Arenal, Catamarca, Argentina. In this study, home range size is investigated in a population of this species. A grid of 70 x 70 m was selected and all adult specimens within this area were marked. Males and females had different home range sizes which did not depend on body size or tail condition (regenerated or not). Males presented home ranges larger than those of females and showed greater overlap with other males than females among each other, suggesting that males do not have a marked territoriality, whereas females would be territorial.