Variación intraespecifica en el uso de Percha Nocturna de Basiliscus galeritus (Sauria: Corytophanidae) en Isla Palma, Pacífico Colombiano

Abstract

Variations in night perch use reflects the partitioning of resources, which allows coexistence by reducing intraspecific competition between individuals of different sexes and sizes. In this study we evaluated nocturnal perch use for males, females and juveniles of Basiliscus galeritus in Isla Palma - Pacífico Colombiano. In April of 2011, individuals were captured manually and we recorded the perch height, position in which they were perched, snout-vent length and vegetation cover. Thirty-nine individuals were recorded. We found that the most frequently used perch types were branches (46.15%), followed by leaves (38.46%), and occasionally individuals were observed on vines, soil and stems. The existence of an association between gender and each of the variables studied was evaluated using contingency tables. This was not a statistically significant association. However, we determined that the use of the night perch is more related to body size of an individual than sex or gender, as a positive correlation was found between the size and height of the perch (rs = ‑0.08, p = 0.7).