Mendelson III, Joseph R.
Zoo Atlanta
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Levine, Brenna A.
Department of Biology
Kean University
Union, New Jersey USA
Hill, Robert. L.
Zoo Atlanta
Atlanta, GA USA
Ramirez-Velazquez, Antonio
Zoologico Miguel Alvarez del Toro
Tuxtla Guittierez, Chiapas, Mexico
Otsuka, Nami
School of Biological Sciences
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA USA
Booth, Warren
Urban Evolutionary Entomology Lab
Department of Entomology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia USA
A group of adult male and female Guatemalan Beaded Lizards (H. charlesbogerti) co-habited a
large outdoor enclosure for five years during the species’ perceived breeding season. Through
genomic parentage analysis, 50% of clutches comprising multiple offspring were found to result
from multiple paternity, with up to three males siring offspring within single clutches. Both
males and females were observed to produce offspring with multiple partners within a given
year. As such, within this captive environment, where opportunities existed for mating with
multiple partners, the genetic mating system was found to be highly polygamous, with multiple
paternity common within clutches. These findings are novel for the family Helodermatidae, and
the results have broader implications about how reproductive opportunities should be managed
within captive conservation programs. A sample of 29 clutches (129 eggs, 41 hatchings) resulted
in clutches numbering 1-11 eggs. A sample of 7 clutches (88 eggs, 31 hatchings of captive H.
alvarezi, reported here for the first time, resulted in clutches number 1-13 eggs. Both of these
ranges are in the same range as other Heloderma spp.