Habitat-associated life history variation within a population of the striped plateau lizard, Sceloporus virgatus

I examined habitat-associated life history variation in a population of the striped plateau lizard (Sceloporus virgatus) in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Individuals living on a north-facing slope were larger and grew faster(especially smaller individuals) than individuals living on a south-facing slope. Those individuals living in covered woods tended to grow faster than individuals living on open slides. Survivorship was generally (but not statistically significantly) higher in the woods than on the slides, and not different between slopes. Females that lived on a south-facing slope and those that lived in woods reproduced in their first year more often than females that lived on a north-facing slope, or on slides. These life history variations are generally consistent with explanations based on proximate factors such as food availability and potential activity periods. (C) Elsevier, Paris.