Based on 20,000 records representing c. 11,000 individuals from an 8-year capture-mark-recapture (CMR) study, we tested and confirmed a new case of invariant clutch size (ICS) in a sexually dichromatic lacertid lizard, Takydromus viridipunctatus. In the grassland habitat of the early succession stage, females showed strictly low and invariant clutch size, multiple clutches in a breeding season, high reproductive potential, and annual breeding cycles that correspond to the emergence of male courtship coloration. The hatchlings mature quickly, and join the adult cohort for breeding within a few months, whereas adults show low survival rates and a short lifespan, such that most die within one year. Mortality increased in both sexes during the breeding season, especially in females, indicating an unequal cost of reproduction in survival. These life history characters may be explained by two non-exclusive hypotheses of ICS-arboreal hypothesis and predation hypothesis-within the ecological context of their habitat. Our study highlights a confirmed case of ICS, which adapts well to this r-selected grassland habitat that experiences seasonal fluctuation and frequent disturbance.

中文翻译：

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长期监测显示，亚热带蜥蜴蜥蜴的雌性大小不变，生殖成本不平等。

基于代表c的20,000条记录。来自一项为期8年的捕获标记回收（CMR）研究的11,000名患者，我们测试并确认了性双色蜥蜴蜥蜴（Takydromus viridipunctatus）中一例不变的离合器大小（ICS）。在演替初期的草地栖息地中，雌性显示出严格低且不变的雌性大小，在繁殖季节中具有多个雌性，繁殖潜力高，并且年度育种周期与雄性求爱着色的出现相对应。幼体迅速成熟，并在几个月内加入成年种群进行繁殖，而成年个体存活率低且寿命短，因此大多数会在一年内死亡。在繁殖季节，两性死亡率都增加了，尤其是雌性，这表明存活的繁殖成本不平等。这些生活史特征可以通过其栖息地的生态环境中的两个非排他性的ICS假说-树木假说和捕食假说来解释。我们的研究突出了一个已确认的ICS案例，该案例非常适合这种r选择的，经历季节性波动和频繁干扰的草地栖息地。