Do Nocturnal Ectotherms Thermoregulate? A Study of the Temperate Gecko Christinus marmoratus

Abstract

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Removing forest canopy cover restores a reptile assemblage

“…In rocky habitats, reptiles often thermoregulate inside crevices formed by overlying rocks located in sun-exposed locations (Huey et al 1989, Kearney andPredavec 2000). These microhabitats provide access to the warmest temperatures available (Webb and Shine 1998a), but are limited by the openness of the forest canopy (Pringle et al 2003).…”

Preferred Temperature Correlates with Evaporative Water Loss in Hylid Frogs from Northern Australia

“…Thermoregulatory opportunities are generally more limited for nocturnal animals than for diurnal animals (Huey et al 1989;Kearney and Predavec 2000). However, nocturnal lizards do thermoregulate (Huey et al 1989;Kearney and Predavec 2000;Kearney 2001Kearney , 2002.…”

When hot rocks get hotter: behavior and acclimatization mitigate exposure to extreme temperatures in a spider

“…Thus, diurnal thermoregulation for nocturnal ectotherms is limited to retreat site selection and their ability to exploit thermal conditions provided by their diurnal retreat (Kearney and Predavec 2000). This was first shown by Huey et al (1989), which demonstrated that garter snakes used basalt rocks nonrandomly based on their thickness, allowing snakes to maintain their body temperatures around their thermal optimum but avoid lethal temperatures.…”

“…In summer, rocks become too hot for many saxicolous animals on sandstone outcrops, causing the animals to abandon the outcrops to more thermally suitable retreats like tree hollows or deep rock crevices (e.g., broadheaded snakes: Shine 1997, Webb andShine 1998;marbled geckos: Kearney 2002). Animals that continue using exfoliated rocks throughout summer when the maximum temperatures are at their highest could mitigate the probability of encountering these thermal extremes either by behavioral retreat site selection (Kearney and Predavec 2000) or through having high thermal tolerances.…”