Data from: Life histories and invasions: accelerated laying rate and incubation time in an invasive lizard, Anolis sagrei

Faster life histories are correlated with greater invasion success across taxa. However, comparisons of life-history traits across native and invasive ranges are rare, and thus it is unknown whether invasions lead directly to evolutionary shifts in life histories. Here we compare life history traits of three invasive populations of brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) to a representative native population. In a common garden, we measured a number of reproductive traits including egg-laying rate and incubation period. We hypothesized that invasive populations would exhibit faster reproduction because fast life histories are favoured both by the invasion itself and by shorter breeding seasons in the invasive range. Compared to native females, invasive females had shorter interlaying intervals and produced eggs that hatched more quickly. Invasive and native populations did not differ consistently in egg size, hatching success, or hatchling size. Our results indicate that life history traits have rapidly diverged during the brown anole invasion, potentially facilitating the successful establishment and expansion of the species range.