Preliminary data on the age structure of Asaccus barani (Baran’s leaf-toed gecko) from southeastern Anatolia, Turkey

In this study, the age structure of an Asaccus barani sample from Şanlıurfa (southeastern Anatolia, Turkey) was determined by skeletochronology for the first time. A total of 17 preserved adults (7♂♂, 10♀♀) were evaluated, and the maximum observed lifespan was recorded as 6 years in males and 5 years in females. The first line of arrested growth was partially eroded by endosteal resorption in 29% of individuals and completely eroded in 18%. The mean age was 3.85 ± 0.50 years in males and 3.80 ± 0.32 years in females; the mean snout–vent length (SVL) was 46.99 ± 2.64 mm (range: 37.78–54.13) in males and 46.89 ± 1.51 mm (range: 40.33–53.19) in females. There was no significant difference between sexes in terms of age and SVL. However, there was a positive correlation between age and SVL in both males and females.