Fig. 3. Rates of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin resistance (R_s) measured in the same 20 hatchling king snakes (Lampropeltis getula) as in Fig. 2, during four consecutive trials. Values are means ± 2 S.E.M., and arrows indicate the relative timing of first (E1) and second (E2) ecdysis with respect to trial number. ANOVA followed by post hoc tests indicate that mean TEWL measured in trial 1 is significantly greater than the values obtained in subsequent trials (P<0.0001). Similarly, there was a significant increase in R_s following the first trial (P<0.0001) and a second increase following trial 3 (P=0.0022), whereas measurements of R_s during trials 2 and 3 were not statistically different (P=0.1655). The pattern of changes suggests that the mechanism producing changes in R_s is related to ecdysis.

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