Age estimation of the populations of Ophisops elegans Mènèttriès 1832 (Sauria: Lacertidae) in the vicinity of Çanakkale and Gökçeada

In this study, age estimation by the skeletochronology method was done in Çanakkale (13 ??, 10 ??, 1 juv.) and Gökçeada (14 ??, 11 ??, 1 juv.) populations of Ophisops elegans. It was figured out that the median age of Çanakkale population is 3 (1-4) and Gökçeada population is 3 (1-6) in a total of 50 (27 ??, 21 ??, 2 juv.) samples which were analyzed transverse sections of femora. Among the samples, the maximum age was calculated as 6 for a male. There is not a statistically difference between populations in terms of head+body lengths, and it was figured out that the average head+body length in Çanakkale population is 45.90 mm (SD=4.06) and in Gökçeada population is 43.53 mm (4.11). The equation between age and length for all samples was calculated as head+body length= 36.78 + (2.77 x age) and as a result of linear regression analyses. It was determined that there is a weak correlation between age and length.