Age structure of Hemidactylus turcicus (L., 1758) (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from southwestern Anatolia (Mugla, Turkey)

In this study, a total of 36 (12 male male, 18 female female, 6 juveniles) Hemidactylus turcicus specimens, caught in the vicinity of Mugla (Turkey) between 2006 and 2011, were evaluated using the skeletochronology method. The mean snout-to-vent length (SVL) was measured as 28.45 +/- 1.92 mm for juveniles, 50.53 +/- 1.06 mm for males, and 51.1 +/- 0.75 mm for females. When the cross-sections were examined, the age range was determined to be 4-8 years in the males and 4-9 years in the females. Individuals reach sexual maturity in 2-3 years. The maximum age was calculated as 9 years for a female. It was determined that there was a strong positive correlation between SVL and age structure in the male (r = 0.98) and female (r = 0.96) individuals.