FRECUENCIA DE PÉRDIDA DE LA COLA EN UN ENSAMBLE DE LAGARTIJAS DE OAXACA, MÉXICO.

The present study evaluated the influence of age, sex and habitat on the frequency of tail loss in three species of endemic lizards to Mexico. The treated taxa are Sceloporus bicanthalis, S. subpictus and mesaspis gadovii and are sympatric in the mountains of the Central Valley of Oaxaca. The differences in the frequency of tail loss were evaluated by sex, age, habitat and species by Chi square test on a sample size of 259 organisms collected between April 2010 and March 2011. The results indicate that habitat structure, sex or age of individuals (except in Mgadovii) did not influence significantly in the frequency of mutilation of the tail in the three species analyzed. However, significant differences between species occur, these differences may be the result of agonistic behavior of each species, and of a pressure of predation different for each taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]