Evaporative water loss in anuran amphibia: A comparative study

P. J. Bentley, T. Yorio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

1. 1. Evaporative water loss, at different rates of air flow, was measured in the anurans, Rana pipiens, Bufo bufo, Xenopus laevis and Agalychnis dacnicolor. It was much less in the latter tree frog, but was similar in the other three species. 2. 2. Inhibition of pulmonary respiration did not significantly change total evaporation nor could the interspecific difference in water loss be related to O2 consumption. Water loss corresponded to 60-100 mg H2O/cm3O2 used. 3. 3. Evaporation from the amphibian integument was less than that from a planar free-water surface. The difference from three of the species may however be due to the animal's shape. Agalychnis, behaved quite differently and water appeared to have a restricted access to the outer surface of the skin in this frog. 4. 4. The observed variation could not be accounted for by differences in the thickness or lipid content of the skin.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1005-1009
Number of pages5
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology -- Part A: Physiology
Volume62
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1979

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