Effect of body mass and melanism on heat balance in Liolaemus lizards of the goetschi clade
- Moreno Azócar, Débora Lina
- Bonino, Marcelo Fabián
- Perotti, Maria Gabriela
- Schulte, James A.
- Abdala, Cristian Simón
- Cruz, Felix Benjamin
DOIAbstract
The body temperature of ectotherms depends on the environmental temperatures and behavioral adjustments, but morphology may also have an effect. Forexample, in colder environments, animals tend to be larger and to show higher thermal inertia, as proposed by Bergmann's rule and the heat balance hypothesis (HBH). Additionally, dark coloration increases solar radiation absorption and should accelerate heat gain (thermal melanism hypothesis, TMH). We tested Bergmann's rule, the HBH and the TMH within the Liolaemus goetschi lizard clade, which shows variability in body size and melanic coloration. We measured heating and cooling rates of live and euthanized animals, and tested how morphology and color affect these rates. Live organisms showless ...
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