Lactic Acid Production during Field Activity in the Galapagos Marine Iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus
- 1 April 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by University of Chicago Press in Physiological Zoology
- Vol. 53 (2) , 157-162
- https://doi.org/10.1086/physzool.53.2.30152578
Abstract
Blood samples were taken from free-ranging marine iguanas to determine the extent to which anaerobic energy production occurs during daily activity. Blood samples taken from basking, foraging, running, swimming, and diving iguanas were analyzed for lactate concentration. Lactate production makes no significant contribution to net metabolic energy production in basking or foraging marine iguanas under normal conditions. Basking iguanas and iguanas returning to shore following subtidal foraging had blood lactate concentrations which were not different than concentrations in resting lizards. Anaerobic energy production does occur during burst running of the type observed by lizards escaping predation on land. It appears that anaerobic energy production is not utilized during normal foraging.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Energy Expenditure in Free‐Ranging LizardsEcology, 1977