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Title
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Thermoregulatory responses to environmental seasonality by the lizard **Lacerta vivipara**
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Author
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Abstract
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| Body temperatures were positively correlated with corresponding mean air temperatures but were most elevated above ambient temperatures during cool early spring months. In early spring, body temperatures were considerably lower than those that the animals maintained in a laboratory thermal gradient (selected temperatures). During the colder months, time of activity was restricted, and lizards increased basking frequency and actively sought warmer microhabitats. A biophysical model was used to calculate equilibrium temperatures that a lizard could achieve by maximizing or minimizing its heat gain. Lizards regulated body temperatures near selected levels, or if these could not be achieved for physical reasons, they regulated near maximal operative temperatures. During the coolest periods, activity was highest in adult males. A main benefit of thermoregulation under these suboptimal conditions may be the maximization of mating success, through an increase of the rate of sperm development. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Herpetologica. - Lawrence, Kan.
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Publication
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Lawrence, Kan.
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1987
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ISSN
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0018-0831
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Volume/pages
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43
:4
(1987)
, p. 405-415
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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