Does caudal autotomy affect the abdominal fat and liver masses of free-living reproductively mature Brown Anoles, Anolis sagrei DUMERIL & BIBRON, 1837, from southwestern Taiwan? (Squamata: Sauria: Dactyloidae)

Anolis sagrei DUMERIL & BIBRON, 1837, of both genders, were collected from an agricultural area in Santzepu, Sheishan District, Chiayi County, southwestern Taiwan, during the period March 2002 to March 2003, as part of a reproductive cycle study. Unpaired t-tests, or where the assumptions of the t-test were substantially violated, the Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare the monthly variations in the mean abdominal fat body mass index and mean liver mass index of the A. sagrei specimens that had not experienced tail autotomy and those that had. No statistically significant variations in the monthly mean abdominal fat body mass indexes or monthly mean liver mass indexes of lizards that had not experienced caudal autotomy and those that had were noted. The authors hypothesize that the results of this study is due to an increase in foraging activity in A. sagrei specimens that experienced tail autotomy.