spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by CRAGG, P. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by CRAGG, P. A.
Journal of Experimental Biology 77,33-56 (1978)
Published by Company of Biologists 1978

Oxygen Consumption in the Lizard Genus Lacerta in Relation to Diel Variation, Maximum Activity and Body Weight

PATRICIA A. CRAGG 1

1 Research Unit for Comparative Animal Respiration, The University Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 IUG, England

Diel recordings of Vo2 under a 12 h Light/12 h Dark regime, constant light or constant dark reveal a strong endogeneous diurnal rhythm in L. sicula. L. vivipara show an exogeneous rhythm with activity occurring only in the light whilst L. viridis have a weak endogeneous rhythm that is modified by behavioural factors and inhibited by dark.

Standard (or basal) Vo2 can only be attained after several hours in an ‘indifferent’ environment, shielded from extraneous stimuli. Measurements must be at night (light or dark) for unrestrained L. sicula and in the dark (day or night, restrained or unrestrained) for L. vivipara and L. viridis. Intrageneric std Vo2 (ml h-1 STPD) = 0.328 W0-78 or 0.216 W0-77 for 1- or 3-days starvation at 30 °C for 0.2 to 34 g Lacerta.

Intrageneric maximum Vo2 (determined for 30 to 60 s of provoked activity during the day) = 2.66 W0.747 at 30 °C for 1-days starvation.

Respiratory exchange ratio, R = 0.75 or 0.85 for std Vo2 after 1 or 3 days starvation and 0.95 and 1.45 for mean daily and max Vo2. High R values are considered a result of anaerobic metabolism and hyperventilation during activity.

Note:

Present address: Department of Physiology, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand

Submitted on January 17, 1978






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1978