A simple method to accurately measure small squamate offspring

Abstract

Offspring size is a key life history trait that is often reported in inter and intraspecific comparisons in reptile studies. Tests of the evolutionary or ecological significance of offspring size rely on accurate measurements, particularly when differences may be small and yet biological significant. This currently particularly important for small squamates as a variety of “allometric engineering” techniques for altering offspring phenotype (sensu Sinervo et al 1992) have become established for testing a variety of evolutionary hypotheses (e.g., Olsson et al. 2002; Sinervo and DeNardo 1996; Wapstra 2000; Warner and Andrews 2002).