Additional observations on the nest and eggs of Stenocercus caducus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) with a report of nest usurpation

Abstract

The Brown Leaf Lizard Stenocercus caducus (Cope, 1862) (Squamata: Tropiduridae) arguably is the most widely distributed of the more than 60 species of Stenocercus Duméril and Bibron, 1859 (Nogueira and Rodrigues 2006, TorresCarvajal 2007, Torres-Carvajal and MaflaEndara 2013). It is found in forested habitats in Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina; although it is a common lizard, its habits are poorly known owing to its cryptic behavior (Scrocchi et al. 1985, Ávila et al. 2008, Cacciali and Rumbo 2008, Silva et al. 2010). Little is known about the nesting behavior in this species, but limited data available suggest that they are sexually dimorphic and reproduce in the rainy season, laying a clutch of two to four eggs (Ávila et al. 2008, Cacciali and Rumbo 2008). This