area may also be influenced by habitat modifications that vary the structure of their litter layers. Reproduction and life cycle Although the biological mechanisms of reproductive cycles between male and female L. delicata lizards differ, they align seasonally such that mating can occur in the late summer. Typically, these lizards produce a single clutch per year of about two to four eggs. In a study analyzing the reproductive cycles in male and female L. delicata over a two year period, it has been found that, in males, the testes contain very few mature sperm during the late autumn and winter months, and during this period, spermatogonia are predominantly present as germ cells while the seminiferous tubules are at their smallest in diameter. However, spermatogenesis begins during the early spring months, allowing for the development of primary and secondary spermatocytes. Nearing the end of September, mature sperm will pack the now expanded seminiferous tubules, and the sperm will deplete during the months of October and November. In the summer, a second wave of spermatogenesis persists to produce more mature sperm during February, which depletes from the seminiferous tubules in spring and then again during autumn presumably for mating reasons, although only mating during the late summer has been observed. In females, the autumn and winter months between February and July are defined by quiescent ovaries, and only during the late winter and spring months between August and October, follicles begin growing into notable sizes. In October or November, one or two follicles per ovary become vitellogenic and ovulated. After ovulation, the corpora lutea forms and maintains until oviposition occurs about a month later. Following ovulation, many other growing follicles become vitellogenic, although they may not ovulate and may regress after the mating period during the late summer. In females, many of these ovarian events parallel ovarian weights. Although growing oocytes are not commonly found in young adult females, young adult males of all ages undergo spermatogenesis. Observation of L. delicata suggests that they produce no more than one clutch per season; however, some evidence suggests that young female lizards may produce a clutch in the season following their birth, which aligns with male lizards’ ability to mate during both the spring and late summer. Though temperature and photoperiod are hypothesized to induce reproductive activity in lizards, more evidence suggests the influence of rain patterns on lizard reproduction cycles. With lower annual