RESEARCH ARTICLE

SUBSTRATE PREFERENCE OF THE CERATOPHORA TENENTII: GUNTHER, 1834 (SQUAMATA: AGAMIDAE) IN THE NORTHERN FLANK OF KNUCKLES CONSERVATION FOREST IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

A study was conducted in the eastern slope of the northern flank of the Knuckles forest range in Sri Lanka for a piod of 3 months from March to June 2002 with the objective of studying the substrate preference of C. tennentii. Data were collected between 0800 to 1800 hrs following focal sampling method. Juvenile (J), male (M) and female (F) lizards were observed. The most preferred substrates were tree trunks (Juveniles = 34.3%, males = 37.3%, females = 13.5%) and cardamom stems (Juveniles = 33.5%, males = 28.2%, females = 32.2%) throughout the study period. The animals spent less than 10% of the total observed time on ground litter, logs, moss covered logs, twigs and moss covered twigs. This is the first study of the kind, substrate preference of any agamid lizard, in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Substrate preference, Cetatophora tenentii, Knuckles conservation forest

How to Cite: Rodrigo,R.K,Padmalal,U.K.G.K,Samaraweera,I.U.P.A,Jayantha,A.U.L.D, (2006). SUBSTRATE PREFERENCE OF THE CERATOPHORA TENENTII: GUNTHER, 1834 (SQUAMATA: AGAMIDAE) IN THE NORTHERN FLANK OF KNUCKLES CONSERVATION FOREST IN SRI LANKA.WILDLANKA, 1(1):Pages 127-132

Published On:2006-01-01

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