Diagram illustrating how the developmental pathways of hatchlings are influenced by their initial body sizes and subsequent molt patterns, shedding light on the correlation between molting frequency, growth duration, and adult size attainment under isolated rearing conditions. On average, hatchling body size between sexes was similar. Among the female hatchlings, those with larger initial body sizes exhibited a propensity to undergo 5 molts, whereas their smaller counterparts tended to experience 6 molts during their development. Among the male hatchlings, the majority followed a pattern of 5 molts with the exception of a limited number of smaller individuals that underwent 6 molts. On average, individuals that experienced 6 molts exhibited an extended growth period but ultimately emerged as larger adults in comparison to their counterparts that underwent 5 molts. These findings are in line with the data presented in Table 1.