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159
dropped, producing 23 and l9 eggs respectively, but then lncreastncr
again in 1992 to 28 esqs (t,abt; l). During tnj. i"r.-ij"-i i irJ.rilir.i
fenale exhibited the sahe trend, Tjl7b lroauced 29'eggs in 19g9,
onry. producrnq
!l::::lt?.-
2a and 24 6sgs respectivejy, before
ralstng 1!9 DroCtuction to 27 eggs in 1992. T3/76 aiso shohred
sinilar pattern
a
two years previous. could this ii,rdi cate that these
n"t_jn
::I11::. T..,
top. condition, therefore had a drop in
producrlon
egg
? The interestiDg factors irowever are that ahe
suspected slo9,t loss of condit:ion over the tr^/c y6ars and then a
year?
::::y::I^_il, :l:- lhil.r
bur stir I not achievins an
proquction
ess
as hrgh as 4 years previousLy (Tab1e 3). Could tnis sf6ri
_Loss or condi.tron be as a result of the slolt, neLabolic rate of the
that.aqe
::?:"9i1-i il:. 1!
? rf it does show a toss of condition,
Enjs Lnqlcatton could be use..u.t reproduction managernent Eool , to
single out weak anirnals and exanine then-
The lon egg clutch nurnber in j.988 of 14 eggs by Rgl75 rras alue to
the nest being raided by nonilor lizard,
Agq fleights/Egg r,enqths/Egg wi dths
In qeneral it is has been seen that there is an increage 1n egg
size ldith the age of the fenale.
fhe_f!ts!t_ eggs (non_viable) were laid iD 1.9g3, hrith rnean weights of
Ih:..ti.st
19:7._5,..
vjabLe eggs r,rere taid in 1985, by only one ferddle
{ r'rl/oJ wrEn hean egos weiqhts of 65.8 g, hobrever the nean eqo
werghts of the three fenales together that. year was considerabii
lo$rer ( 56,6 g).
The rnean egg weights steadily increaseal as the females got older.
by 1991 the egg rreights
-weight
had Leached a nean overall
oi
96.5-g- Hordever, an exception occurred in 1992 r,rhere there was a
srrgnlry lower overatt rnean of 96.2 g. A drop in nean egg weight
had- never occurred previ.ousilr. Coutd this d;op have been linked
rlith the nale being in poor con