Evidence of sperm storage in Schreiber’s Fringe-fingered Lizard, Acanthodactylus schreiberi schreiberi, from Cyprus

Abstract Four females of Schreiber’s Fringe-fingered Lizard, Acanthodactylus schreiberi schreiberi Boettger, 1878, from the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus were captured after mating in the field and moved into isolated terraria in the laboratory. Three of them laid two clutches and the fourth one laid four clutches without any further mating with males. The last oviposition was observed 90 days after capture in the field. This indicates that females of this species are capable of storing functional sperms for at least a period of three months. This ability may have played an important role in the distribution of the lizard into the inner island and the Troodos Mountains where it can be found in sparse populations.