Abstract: The trade-off between egg size and number is a key trait of life history. The physiological constraint hypothesis predicts that the energy storage of a female affects the energy allocation to individual egg. Nonetheless, the morphological constraint hypothesis proposes that female body size is linked to egg number and size. Here, we analyzed the morphological traits and reproduction-related parameters of the female Eremias arguta, to test the above hypotheses. Our results showed that egg width increased with the increases of female tail base width. Egg length, egg volume, and clutch size increased with the increases of axilla groin length. Both egg mass and number increased with increasing body condition index. A significantly positive relationship but no trade-off was found between egg size and number, indicating that females improve their reproductive outputs by increasing both egg size and number. An allometry existed between egg shape and female morphological trait, and the allometric slope of female morphological trait was steeper than that of egg shape. After the effect of clutch size being eliminated by calculating residual scores from the separate regressions of egg length and egg width on clutch size, there was no difference in the allometric slope between egg shape and female morphological trait. We found evidence that morphology of female E. arguta constrains egg size and number and females with a better body condition producing larger and more eggs. There is no trade-off between egg size and clutch size, and allometry in egg shape might be due to morphological constraints.

Key words: deficit irrigation, full irrigation, global warming potential., tomato yield, greenhouse gas emission