The Effect of Desiccation upon the Preferred Body Temperature and Activity Level of the Lizard Sceloporus undulatus

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Abstract
The effect of acute desiccation upon the preferred body temperature and activity levels of the lizard Sceloporus undulatus (Iguanidae) collected from two habitats differing in thermal regime and water and availability was investigated. In thermal gradients, desiccated lizards selected significantly lower body temperatures than did hydrated lizards. There was a significant negative relationship between the body temperatures selected during activity and the degree of desiccation. Relative to hydrated lizards, desiccated lizards also showed a significant decrease in activity, tending to remain buried in the substrate of the thermal gradient. Lizards collected from two different habitats differed significantly in response to desiccation when active but not when inactive. Reductions in body temperature and activity presumably function to decrease water loss.

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