ISSN:
1432-136X
Keywords:
Thermoregulation
;
Radiotelemetry
;
Cooling/heating rate
;
Behaviour
;
Lizard
;
Varanus s. salvator
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Eight water monitor lizards, Varanus s. salvator, were captured; four individuals from an oil palm estate on the Malayan peninsula, and four from fresh water-deficient Tulai island 65 km off-shore in the South China Sea. They were fitted with a radio transmitter attached to a thermistor which was inserted into the cloaca of the animals and released. The heating rate during basking was measured as 0.117 and 0.118 °C·min-1 while the daily cloacal temperature fluctuated between 29.5–37.3 °C. Cloacal temperature was measured on other individuals caught at random times during the day, which revealed a considerable daily and individual variation. The average cloacal temperature during activity was 30.4 °C. The peak activity appeared when body temperature was 31 °C. Thermoregulation by behavioural means included cooling in water and reducing heat loss at night by sleeping in burrows. The cooling rate for two individuals when submerged in 29 °C water was 0.308 and 0.340 °C·min-1. There appeared to be a strong correlation between ambient temperature and cloacal temperature.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00301476
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