Procedural and Anatomical Considerations of the Determination of Cutaneous Water Loss in Squamate Reptiles

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Abstract
Previous measurements of cutaneous water loss (CWL) in reptiles did not consider the theoretical bases of CWL, the relation of CWL to cutaneous morphology and the errors introduced by inadequate measuring systems. CWL is analyzed on the basis of a modification of Fick''s Law of Diffusion. Temperature and the dryness of the keratin should have major effects on CWL while death and anesthesia should not. The hinge and the outer scale surface do not have differential permeability to water, and the main barrier to water loss in squamates probably resides within the .alpha.-layer of the epidermis. The use of materials with low water permeability to construct the measuring systems is advocated, and a capsule system is introduced for the measurement of CWL in reptiles. Acute hydration, taping the cloaca closed with adhesive tape and trauma can all affect CWL.

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