Seasonal changes in the thermoregulatory strategies of Rhinella arenarum in the Monte desert, Argentina

Sanabria, Eduardo Alfredo; Quiroga, Lorena B.; Martino, Adolfo Ludovico

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2010.10.002

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Field body temperatures of O. occidentalis during the wet and dry season are within a small percentage of field body temperatures near the lower set point. Sanabria et al () observed in R. arenarum that field body temperatures were always below the set point. These results strongly suggest that animals always experience thermal environmental constraints during both seasons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Apparently, the toads have the capacity to acclimatize seasonally, showing changes in the thermal parameters as well as select body temperature and extreme temperatures. In R. arenarum, these changes are in relationship with the reproduction (Sanabria and Quiroga, 2011a) or in the presence of thermal environmental constraints, such situation was reported for R. arenarum in the Monte desert (Sanabria et al, 2011). We performed a comparative study of the thermoregulation of O. occidentalis during the wet and dry seasons in the Monte desert, San Juan, Argentina.…”

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confidence: 88%

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Variation in the Thermal Parameters of Odontophrynus occidentalis in the Monte Desert, Argentina: Response to the Environmental Constraints

2012

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We studied the variation of thermal parameters of Odontophrynus occidentalis between season (wet and dry) in the Monte desert (Argentina). We measured body temperatures, microhabitat temperatures, and operative temperatures; while in the laboratory, we measured the selected body temperatures. Our results show a change in the thermal parameters of O. occidentalis that is related to environmental constraints of their thermal niche. Environmental thermal constraints are present in both seasons (dry and wet), showing variations in thermal parameters studied. Apparently imposed environmental restrictions, the toads in nature always show body temperatures below the set point. Acclimatization is an advantage for toads because it allows them to bring more frequent body temperatures to the set point. The selected body temperature has seasonal intraindividual variability. These variations can be due to thermo-sensitivity of toads and life histories of individuals that limits their allocation and acquisition of resources. Possibly the range of variation found in selected body temperature is a consequence of the thermal environmental variation along the year. These variations of thermal parameters are commonly found in deserts and thermal bodies of nocturnal ectotherms. The plasticity of selected body temperature allows O. occidentales to have longer periods of activity for foraging and reproduction, while maintaining reasonable high performance at different temperatures. The plasticity in seasonal variation of the thermal parameters has been poorly studied, and is greatly advantageous to desert species during changes in both seasonal and daily temperature, as these environments are known for their high environmental variability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 88%

Variation in the Thermal Parameters of Odontophrynus occidentalis in the Monte Desert, Argentina: Response to the Environmental Constraints

2012

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“…El comportamiento termoconformador ha sido explicado como una estrategia de los anfibios para evitar la pérdida de agua y mantener su piel húmeda y permeable, lo que resulta particularmente importante en salamandras terrestres de la familia Plethodontidae (que no presentan pulmones) para poder realizar el intercambio gaseoso a través de la piel (Feder, 1976(Feder, , 1983. También, con el propósito de ahorrar tiempo y energía en la búsqueda innecesaria de microhábitat que no ofrecen oportunidades para termorregular (Oromí et al, 2010;Sanabria et al, 2011), que pueden ser utilizados en otras actividades como la alimentación, búsqueda de refugios, reproducción y crecimiento (Sanabria et al, 2014). Específicamente, para el caso de B. ramosi, es posible que la poca variación térmica de su hábitat sea la principal limitante para termorregular durante su actividad nocturna, ya que en términos de balance de agua la humedad relativa siempre se mantuvo por encima del 85% en el lugar de estudio.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Por ejemplo, en anuros se ha reportado la heliotermia en animales que tienen la capacidad de captar calor a través de la radiación solar, como Bufo boreas y Bufo spinulosus (Lillywhite et al, 1973;Lambrinos & Kleier, 2003), y la tigmotermia, en animales que captan el calor por conducción, como Leptodactylus ocellatus, Pleurodema thaul (Sanabria et al, 2003;Iturra-Cid et al, 2014) y algunas especies de Bufonidae y Leptodactylidae que termorregulan en sustratos secos y húmedos, de acuerdo con experimentos realizados en laboratorio (Tracy et al, 1993;Sanabria et al, 2005), así como durante cambios estacionales en campo (Sanabria et al, 2011;Iturra-Cid et al, 2014).…”

Section: Palabras-claveunclassified

Dependencia térmica de la salamandra endémica de Colombia Bolitoglossa ramosi (Caudata, Plethodontidae)

Cruz

Galindo

Bernal

2016

Iheringia, Sér. Zool.

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ABSTRACT. Thermal dependence of the Colombian endemic salamander Bolitoglossa ramosi (Caudata, Plethodontidae). Environmental temperature is a determining factor in the physiological and behavioral processes of amphibians because they are ectotherms and consequently depend on external heat sources to achieve optimal body temperatures. The aim of this study was to determine the thermal dependence of the Colombian endemic salamander Bolitoglossa ramosi Brame & Wake, 1972 with respect to the air and substrate temperatures. Field samples were carried out in the municipality of Líbano, Tolima, Colombia, between 18:00 and 24:00 hours, in April and May 2015. 34 individuals were captured and for each salamander it was recorded: the body temperature, body mass and body length. The substrate and air temperatures were also measured in the place where the animals were found. Body temperature of the individuals had a mean of 18.3±0.55°C, showing a positive and signifi cant relationship to the substrate and air temperatures, which demonstrates that the species is thermoconformer. Furthermore, the body temperature showed a higher thermal dependence on the substrate than the air temperature indicating that B. ramosi presents a tigmothermal regulation. Finally, the body temperature was not related to body length or body mass. This information is useful for understanding the thermal biology of the species and the possible physiological responses to the increase in environmental temperatures.KEYWORDS. Amphibian, conservation, ectotherms, physiology, thermal biology.RESUMEN. La temperatura ambiental es un factor determinante en los procesos fi siológicos y comportamentales de los anfi bios ya que son ectotérmos y consecuentemente dependen de una fuente de calor externa para alcanzar su temperatura corporal óptima. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la dependencia térmica de la salamandra endémica de Colombia Bolitoglossa ramosi Brame & Wake, 1972 con respecto a las temperaturas del aire y del sustrato. Para esto se realizaron diferentes muestreos en el municipio de Líbano, Tolima, Colombia, entre las 18:00 y las 24:00 horas, en Abril y Mayo de 2015. Allí se capturaron 34 individuos a los cuales se les registró directamente en campo: la temperatura corporal, la masa corporal y la longitud corporal. También, se midió la temperatura del sustrato y la temperatura del aire en el lugar donde fue encontrado el animal. La temperatura corporal de los individuos tuvo una media de 18.3±0.55°C, mostrando una relación positiva y signifi cativa con la temperatura del sustrato y la temperatura del aire, lo que demuestra que la especie es termoconformadora. Además, la temperatura corporal mostró una dependencia térmica mayor con la temperatura del sustrato que con la del aire, indicando que B. ramosi presenta una regulación tigmotérmica. Finalmente, la temperatura corporal no se relacionó con la longitud corporal ni con la masa corporal. Esta información es importante para el conocimiento de la biología térmica de la especie y las posibles...

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“…However, studies performed to date have focused on species from mesic environments. In contrast to these species, those from extreme thermal environments (both hot and cold) should have limited ecological opportunities for thermoregulation (Sinsch 1989;Navas 1996;Navas et al 2007;Sanabria et al 2011). To assess whether interactions between body temperature and hydration correlate with different ecological settings, we evaluated the hydric and thermal sensitivities of locomotor performance in Rhinella granulosa Spix 1824 (previously Bufo granulosus) from both the semiarid Caatinga and the Atlantic Rain Forest in northeastern Brazil.…”

Section: Dehydration Hardly Slows Hopping Toads (Rhinella Granulosa) mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dehydration Hardly Slows Hopping Toads (Rhinella granulosa) from Xeric and Mesic Environments

Prates¹,

Angilleta²,

Wilson³

et al. 2013

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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The locomotor capacity of amphibians depends strongly on temperature and hydration. Understanding the potential interactions between these variables remains an important challenge because temperature and water availability covary strongly in natural environments. We explored the effects of temperature and hydration on the hopping speeds of Rhinella granulosa, a small toad from the semiarid Caatinga and the Atlantic Rain Forest in Brazil. We asked whether thermal and hydric states interact to determine performance and whether toads from the Caatinga differ from their conspecifics from the Atlantic Forest. Both dehydration and cooling impaired hopping speed, but effects were independent of one another. In comparison to performances of other anurans, the performance of R. granulosa was far less sensitive to dehydration. Consequently, dehydrated members of this species may be able to sustain performance through high body temperatures, which agrees with the exceptional heat tolerance of this species. Surprisingly, toads from both the Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest were relatively insensitive to dehydration. This observation suggests that migration or gene flow between toads from the forest and those from a drier region occurred or that toads from a dry region colonized the forest secondarily.

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Seasonal changes in the thermoregulatory strategies of Rhinella arenarum in the Monte desert, Argentina

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Variation in the Thermal Parameters of Odontophrynus occidentalis in the Monte Desert, Argentina: Response to the Environmental Constraints

Variation in the Thermal Parameters of Odontophrynus occidentalis in the Monte Desert, Argentina: Response to the Environmental Constraints

Dependencia térmica de la salamandra endémica de Colombia Bolitoglossa ramosi (Caudata, Plethodontidae)

Dehydration Hardly Slows Hopping Toads (Rhinella granulosa) from Xeric and Mesic Environments

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