Griffiths Anthony D, Christian Keith A
School of Biological Sciences, Northern Territory University, 0909, Darwin, NT, Australia.
Oecologia. 1996 Apr;106(1):39-48. doi: 10.1007/BF00334405.
A population of frillneck lizards, Chlamydosaurus kingii, was monitored by mark-recapture and telemetry over a 2 year period in Kakadu National Park. The aims of the study were to document changes in diet, growth, condition and habitat use between the wet and dry seasons of northern Australia, in light of recent research examining seasonal variation in the physiology of this species. Frillneck lizards feed on a diverse range of invertebrates in both seasons, even though there is a substantial reduction in food avail-ability in the dry season. Harvester termites from the genus Drepanotermes constitute a major component of the diet, and the prevalence of termites in the diet of sedentary foragers in a tropical environment is unusual. Adult male body condition remained relatively stable throughout the year, but females experienced considerable variation. These differences are attributed to different reproductive roles of the sexes. Growth in C. kingii was restricted to the wet season, when food availability was high, and growth was minimal in the dry season when food availability was low. The method used in catching lizards was an important factor in determining seasonal habitat use. Telemetered lizards selected a significantly different distribution of tree species than was randomly available, and they selected significantly larger tree species during the dry season. Lizards spotted along roadsides showed little seasonal variation in the selection of tree species or tree sizes. The results suggest a comprehensive change in the ecology of this species, in response to an annual cycle of low food and moisture availability, followed by a period with few resource restrictions.
在卡卡杜国家公园，研究人员在两年时间里通过标记重捕法和遥测技术对褶伞蜥种群（Chlamydosaurus kingii）进行了监测。鉴于最近有关该物种生理季节性变化的研究，本研究的目的是记录澳大利亚北部干湿季节之间褶伞蜥在饮食、生长、身体状况和栖息地利用方面的变化。尽管旱季食物供应量大幅减少，但褶伞蜥在两个季节都以多种无脊椎动物为食。来自Drepanotermes属的收获蚁是其饮食的主要组成部分，在热带环境中，定居觅食者的饮食中白蚁占比很高，这一现象并不常见。成年雄性的身体状况全年相对稳定，但雌性则经历了相当大的变化。这些差异归因于两性不同的繁殖角色。褶伞蜥的生长仅限于食物供应量高的湿季，而在食物供应量低的旱季生长极少。捕捉蜥蜴所使用的方法是决定季节性栖息地利用的一个重要因素。佩戴遥测设备的蜥蜴选择的树种分布与随机可得的树种分布显著不同，并且它们在旱季选择的树种明显更大。在路边发现的蜥蜴在树种或树大小的选择上几乎没有季节性变化。结果表明，该物种的生态发生了全面变化，以应对食物和水分供应每年一次的低水平循环，随后是资源限制较少的时期。
