Posted by:
SunHerp
at Mon Dec 19 10:05:10 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by SunHerp ]
Most (if not all) squamates have indeterminate growth - they continue to grow throughout their lives, though more slowly once they approach a larger size. That said, many animals reach reproductive maturity at quite a smaller size than their full potential. For example, it's not unusual for female L. t. multistrata to begin ovulating and breeding at 20 inches (or even a little smaller) in total length. The vast majority, though, continue to grow steadily until reaching 24-30 inches, where their growth slows significantly.
Additionally, it's been shown that animals which have been fed little, and are smaller than their cohorts because of it, aren't permanently stunted. If returned to a better diet, they resume normal growth and size... sometimes even "catching up" to others of their age class that are "normal" size. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't animals with a genetic predisposition to remain small. That is certainly the case in some instances.
Lampropeltis triangulum multistrata - Stillwater County, Montana
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-Cole
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RE: Neonate Feeding and Adult Size - SunHerp, Mon Dec 19 10:05:10 2011 