Age and Body Size of Levant Green Lizard Lacerta media Lantz & Cyren, 1920 (Reptilia: Lacertidae) in a Highland Turkish Population

This study used skeletochronology to assess the relationships of age and body length of the individuals in a population of the Levant green lizard (Lacerta media), located in the Harmanc & imath;k Village, Torul District,G & uuml;m & uuml;& scedil;hane Province. The mean age and SVL in the adult individuals of the Harmanc & imath;k population were 101.57 +/- 4.04 mm and 5.31 +/- 1.34 years for all individuals (101.10 +/- 3.61 mm and 5.31 +/- 1.03 years in adult females and 102.09 +/- 4.57 mm and 5.33 +/- 1.67 years in adult males). The age range varied was 4-8 years in adult males and 4-7 years in adult females. The age of the subadult males and subadult females was at 3 years, while the age of the two juveniles was 2 years. A positive correlation was found between body size (SVL) and age in adult female and male individuals of the species. A male-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD = -0.097) was observed.