A Study on the Feeding Biology of Laudakia (=Agama) stellio (L. 1758) (Lacertilia: Agamidae) Populations in the Antalya Region

Authors: SERDAR DÜŞEN, MEHMET ÖZ

Abstract: The feeding biology of Laudakia (=Agama) stellio (L. 1758) was studied using 91 specimens collected from the Antalya region over two consecutive years (1995 and 1996). A total of 1224 prey items were identifed and their frequency of occurrence and percent of diet were tabulated. The majority of the diet consisted of the class Insecta (99.18%), and within this class, Hymenoptera (72.21%) was the major order represented, primarily by the families Formicidae (49.83%) and Apidae (16.74%). In addition to insects, L. stellio feeds on plant material, insect larvae and eggs, and even snails, showing opportunist feeding behavior.

Keywords: Laudakia (=Agama) stellio, Feeding Biology, Antalya Region, Prey

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