Abstract

Correlations between an animal’s morphology and ecological parameters such as habitat characteristics emphasize the intimate link between phenotype and the environment, but are often difficult to interpret because the functional consequence of morphological variations are frequently unknown. We tested the hypothesis that reptile species occupying open habitats would possess relatively longer limbs than those occurring in closed habitats. A number of osteological characteristics relevant to locomotion were quantified, including the body size and bone length of the fore- and hindlimbs. In conclusion the following adaptations could be recorded as a correlation btween limbs and life style: 1- Ground-dwellers have long hindlimb, pes and fourth pes digit with short forelimb. 2- Vertical-climbers have short snout-ventral length, forelimb and hindlimb. 3- Arboreal species have longer forelimb and hindlimb than vertical -climbers.
4- Arboreal species have longer forelimb than hindlimb.

Key words: Relationship, limb, habitat, lizard