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Physiological Responses to Temperature in the Lizard Eumeces Obsoletus Author(S): William R

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Physiological Responses to Temperature in the Lizard Eumeces Obsoletus Author(S): William R Physiological Responses to Temperature in the Lizard Eumeces obsoletus Author(s): William R. Dawson Source: Physiological Zoology, Vol. 33, No. 2 (Apr., 1960), pp. 87-103 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30152297 . Accessed: 17/02/2014 18:51 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Physiological Zoology. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 207.233.74.102 on Mon, 17 Feb 2014 18:51:29 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions PHYSIOLOGICALRESPONSES TO TEMPERATURE IN THE LIZARD EUMECES OBSOLETUS WILLIAM R. DAWSON Department of Zo6logy, University of Michigan1 HEeffectiveness of behavior in al- of hemoglobin.Measurements of the oxy- lowing lizards to maintain body gen capacity of blood from skinks are T temperature at a characteristic also presented.All these things have been level during activity is well known selected for study because the relation of (Cowles and Bogert, 1944;Bogert, 1949a; metabolism to respiratory and circula- Norris, 1953; and Saint-Girons and tory capacities should be of primary im- Saint-Girons, 1956). The fact that this portance in thermal adjustment. level may be similarin congenericspecies existing in different climates, yet differ MATERIALS AND METHODS markedly in species of different genera The Great Plains skink occurs in a re- within the same habitat (Bogert, 1949b), gion roughly coextensivewith the south- suggests the existence of physiological ern half of the GreatPlains (Fitch, 1955). adjustmentsto particularbody tempera- In desertor forestedportions of its range, tures in lizards, which may differat the this lizard is confined to small areas generic level even within the same en- covered by short, thick grass or com- vironment. parable vegetation, in which flat rocks This study of physiological responses are available for shelter. The animals to temperaturein the Great Plains skink, used in the present study were ob- Eumeces obsoletus, was undertaken as tained through a commercial collector part of a continuing effort to determine shortly after capture in northeastern the nature and possiblephysiological sig- Kansas from May through July in the nificance of thermal adjustments of liz- years 1955-58. At the time of study they ards. This skink maintains a body tem- weighed between 25 and 35 gm. This re- peratureonly slightly in excess of 300 C. stricted weight range was utilized to re- when abroad and active (Fitch, 1955) duce variation in the results obtained, and succumbsat temperaturesin the nor- arising from differencesin size among the mal activity range for the very heat re- experimentalanimals. sistant desert iguana, Dipsosaurus dor- The skinks were kept in screen cages salis, studied previously (Dawson and except during study. Each of these cages Bartholomew, 1958). The results re- contained an electric light bulb con- ported here concern the effects of tem- trolled by an automatic timer. The pho- on in perature total oxygen consumption, toperiodwas 12 hours. The animalsperi- vivo and in vitro cardiac performance, odically basked under the light and and the affinities breathing rate, oxygen maintained their body temperaturesbe- 1 Work supported in part by grants from the tween 30' and 350 C. Occasionally they Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, would retirebeneath boards for the University of Michigan, and the National Sci- provided ence Foundation (G-2096). shelter. At night when the lights were off, 87 This content downloaded from 207.233.74.102 on Mon, 17 Feb 2014 18:51:29 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 88 WILLIAMR. DAWSON the animals cooled to room temperature cording potentiometer. The electrocar- (23o-280 C.). Food consisting of meal diographic leads were connected to an worms, egg, dogfood, and, occasionally, a.c. preamplifierwhich in turn was con- crickets was regularlyprovided. The in- nected to a channel of a pen-writing animate portionsof this diet were admin- oscillograph.The strain gauge was con- istered by hand. The animals also re- nected to a carrier preamplifierwhich ceived a vitamin mixture weekly. These was connectedto a secondchannel of this arrangements kept the skinks in good oscillograph. condition throughoutthe periodin which As soon as the various leads had been they were studied, judging both by their connected to the appropriate instru- maintenanceof weight and their general ments, the cylinderwith the lizardinside vigor. was placed in a groundedjSreen cage in- side a constant temperaturecabinet. The OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, BREATHING RATE, within this cabinet could be AND HEART RATE temperature controlled to within 0.50 C. of any de- Lizardsto be used in studies of oxygen sired level between 00 and 450 C. When and heart rate were made consumption everything was in position, the cylinder them to 50 C. and then torpid by chilling was connected by tygon tubing into a were securedwith thin of strips masking metabolism circuit. Air was passed to animal boards fashioned from tape through this circuit from a low pressure wooden A fine ther- tongue depressors. line at approximately100 cc. per minute was mocouple (copper-constantan) in- (not correctedto S.T.P.). After leaving serted the cloaca into the through large the cylinder, this air passed successively intestine of each animal for measurement through an absorbent train which re- or of body temperature. Three silver moved water and CO2 from it, then stainless-steel needle electrodes for elec- through a rotameterwhich measuredthe were then trocardiograms (EKG's) rate of flow, and then through a para- an electrodewas placed intramuscularly; magnetic oxygen analyzer which meas- to each of the front and a attached limbs, ured the fractional concentrationof oxy- third which servedas a electrode, ground, gen in it. Such measurementscombined was placed in the dorsal musculatureof with information on the fractional con- the tail. The animal with electrodes and centration of oxygen in the air entering in in a thermocouple position was placed the metabolism circuit (dried and with with an inner diameter of glass cylinder the CO2removed) made it possible to cal- 6.5 cm. and a of 30 cm. A second length culate the true oxygen consumption of for measurement of air thermocouple the lizards according to a method out- was also in this temperature placed cylin- lined by Depocas and Hart (1957). All der. It was then and the vari- stoppered expressions of metabolic rate are con- led out ous wires through air-tight ports. verted to S.T.P. (00 C. and 760 mm. Hg) In experiments in which breathing rate and refer to individuals that had fasted was also was to be measured,the animal at least 24 hours at 230 C. prior to meas- fitted with a strain gauge which was at- urement. tached to the thoracic cage in such a The over-all arrangement outlined manner that any breathing movement above permitted simultaneous measure- would produce a distortion in this device. ment of the effects of temperature on The thermocouple leads were attached oxygen consumption, heart rate, breath- to a suitably calibrated, multipoint re- ing rate, and EKG pattern. The method This content downloaded from 207.233.74.102 on Mon, 17 Feb 2014 18:51:29 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions TEMPERATUREIN LIZARDEUMECES OBSOLETUS 89 of restrainingthe animals did not appear anoelectrical transducer tube (RCA to injure them or even disturb them par- 5734). This assembly was then arranged ticularly; minimal rates of oxygen con- so the ventricle was suspended between sumption for such individuals were simi- two platinum electrodes separated by a lar to those observedin unrestrainedani- vertical distance of 2 cm. The electrodes mals at the same body temperature. It were attached to the vertical arm of the was a great convenienceto be able to fol- aerating tube which was arrangedas an low EKG's during these experiments,for inverted L. The horizontal arm of this any activity on the part of the animals aerating tube was clamped to a stand of was indicated by muscle potentials on adjustable height. The apex of the ven- the EKG trace. tricle was connected by its thread to a hook fused to the lower end of CARDIACCONTRACTILITY platinum the vertical arm. A centrifugetube (inner In experiments dealing with the ef- diameter 3 cm.), supportedin a thermos fects of temperatureon ventricularcon- flask and containing Ringer's solution at traction in response to widely spaced 230 C., was positioned so that the elec- electricalstimuli, several steps were nec- trodes and ventricle were immersed in essary to preparethe ventricle for study. this fluid. The centrifuge tube-thermos The thoraciccavity of a pithed skink was flask assembly was supportedon remov- opened along the sternum so that the able wooden blocks so that it could easily heart was exposed. The pericardiumwas be replaced with another containing then carefully slit so that the ligament Ringer's solution at one of the experi- connectingthe apex of the ventricle to it mental temperatures.When the arrange- was not severed. A thread was tied ments outlined above had been com- aroundthis ligament which was then cut pleted, the height of the stand was ad- between the thread and the pericardium. justed so that the ventricle was under a The heart was elevated by the thread slight amount of tension, and the hori- and its vascular connections severed.
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