Thermal preferences and effects of temperature on fitness parameters of an endemic Argentinean tarantula (Grammostola vachoni)

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Schwerdt ◽  
A.E. de Villalobos ◽  
F. Pérez-Miles ◽  
N. Ferretti
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Temperature Preference ◽  
Thermal Biology ◽  
Fitness Parameters ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
Temperature Ranges ◽  
Thermal Preferences ◽  
Successful Behavior

Mygalomorphs depend on thermal microhabitats for successful behavior, but their thermal biology is still poorly known. Grammostola vachoni Schiapelli and Gerschman, 1961 is an endemic tarantula from Argentina and it is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. However, little is known about its biology; therefore, we attempted to explore the thermal biology of juveniles and adult females of G. vachoni under laboratory conditions. We characterized the preferred temperatures, evaluated the relationship between temperature and locomotor performance, and calculated the thermal sensitivity. Individuals showed a peak temperature preference and spent 40% of the total time at 25–29 °C; we did not find any significant differences in temperature preference between juveniles and females. We found that locomotor performance is strongly affected by high temperatures. Different sprint speeds of juveniles and females were found at 5, 35, and 40 °C. The highest thermal sensitivity was recorded in the lowest temperature range and thermal sensitivity was lowest in the highest temperature ranges. Our results are relevant in the context of climate change, because thermal parameters constitute a useful tool to explore some possible effects of this change on body temperature and thus the physiological performance and vulnerability of ectotherms like G. vachoni.

scholarly journals Potential benefits from global warming to the thermal biology and locomotor performance of an endangered Patagonian lizard

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Facundo Cabezas-Cartes ◽  
Jimena B. Fernández ◽  
Fernando Duran ◽  
Erika L. Kubisch
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Thermal Physiology ◽  
Thermal Biology ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Future Global Warming ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
Environmental Temperatures

Global warming can significantly affect many aspects of the biology of animal species, including their thermal physiology and physiological performance. Thermal performance curves provide a heuristic model to evaluate the impacts of temperature on the ecophysiology of ectotherms. When integrated with other thermal biology parameters, they can be used to predict the impacts of climate change on individual fitness and population viability. In this study, we combine holistic measures of thermal physiology and the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance with environmental temperatures measured at fine scale to estimate the vulnerability to global warming of the endangered Patagonian lizard Phymaturus tenebrosus. Our results indicate that this lizard exhibits its preferred temperatures and maximum locomotor performance at higher temperatures than the mean temperature it currently experiences in its habitat. In addition, it exhibits a low effectiveness of thermoregulation, being a poor thermoregulator. In view of the results obtained, we suggest that the climatic conditions of Patagonia may be advantageous for P. tenebrosus to survive future global warming, since its thermal physiology and locomotor performance may improve under increasing in environmental temperatures in its habitat.

Temperature Selection of Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri) Fingerlings in Vertical and Horizontal Gradients

1971 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1801-1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. McCauley ◽  
W. L. Pond
Keyword(s):  
Rainbow Trout ◽  
Salmo Gairdneri ◽  
Temperature Preference ◽  
Temperature Selection ◽  
Horizontal Gradients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
Laboratory Investigations ◽  
Horizontal Temperature Gradients ◽  
Selection Of

Preferred temperatures of underyearling rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) were determined in both vertical and horizontal temperature gradients. No statistically significant difference was found between the preferred temperatures by the two different methods. This suggests that the nature of the gradient plays a lesser role than generally believed in laboratory investigations of temperature preference.

Set-Point Displacement for Behavioural Thermoregulation in Anorexia Nervosa

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 677-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Luck ◽  
A. Wakeling
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Behavioural Thermoregulation ◽  
Deep Body Temperature ◽  
Set Point ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
High Stimulus ◽  
Thermal Preferences ◽  
Patients Experience

1. The temperatures of thermal stimuli which evoked a feeling of maximal pleasantness upon contact with the hands of 14 malnourished patients with anorexia nervosa and 19 control subjects have been determined. A uniform skin temperature of 35°C for all individuals studied was achieved by immersion of the subjects and patients in water at that temperature. Core temperatures of the anorexic patients were similar to those of the control subjects, but six of the patients preferred temperatures that were significantly higher than those of the control subjects. The thermal preferences of the remainder of the patients were similar to those of the control subjects. 2. The abnormally high thermal preferences of some of the anorexic patients could not be attributed to abnormal thyroid status, since values for serum free thyroxine measured in this group were similar to those obtained for the remaining patients. The abnormal responses persisted after there had been a substantial gain in the patients'weight and did not therefore appear to be directly due to malnutrition. 3. Elevation of deep body temperature produced an expected shift in preference towards lower stimulus temperatures in a sample of subjects from the control group, and in the patients who had initially preferred temperatures within the range of the controls. In the patients who had initially preferred abnormally high stimulus temperatures, however, hyperthermia produced little change in thermal preference. 4. It is suggested that an elevation in the set-point temperature for behavioural thermoregulation can occur in some patients with anorexia nervosa, and that this displacement-5-contribute to the distressing sense of cold which some patients experience.

Thermal preference in relation to salinity in the threespine stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., with an interpretation of its significance

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 590-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. T. Garside ◽  
D. G. Heinze ◽  
S. E. Barbour
Keyword(s):  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Threespine Stickleback ◽  
Acclimation Temperature ◽  
Thermal Gradients ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Lethal Temperatures ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
Thermal Preferences

Thermal preferences were determined in spacious thermal gradients of fresh water and sea water (32‰ salinity (S))for acclimations of 5, 15, and 25 °C in sea water, for samples of threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus L. Preferred temperatures increased through acclimations of 5–25 °C, with those for the freshwater tests being about 2 °C lower at each acclimation. Final preferenda were 16 and 18 °C for freshwater tests and seawater tests, respectively. The final preferendum in such haloplastic species is defined as the highest obtainable preferendum that equals acclimation temperature. A later series of disjunct preference determinations in approximately isosmotic water (10.5‰ S) for subjects acclimated to 7, 15, and 20 °C yielded mean values of 17.7, 18.2, and 18.7 °C, respectively. A final preferendum has not been designated since the samples were of separate origins. A parallel exists between these responses and the response of this and other haloplastic species in the determination of upper lethal temperatures. The immediate cause appears to be differentials in metabolic loading occasioned by l stresses.

Thermal preferences of mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus L., and banded killifish, F. diaphanus (LeSueur), (Cyprinodontidae) in relation to thermal acclimation and salinity

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 1190-1194 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. T. Garside ◽  
G. C. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Fresh Water ◽  
Fundulus Heteroclitus ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Thermal Acclimation ◽  
Thermal Gradients ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Preferred Temperatures ◽  
Typical Habitat ◽  
Thermal Preferences ◽  
Banded Killifish

Frequency distributions corresponding to various levels of thermal acclimation from 5 to 35 °C were recorded for samples of marine mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus L., and samples of freshwater banded killifish, F. diaphanus (LeSueur), in thermal gradients formed in columns of fresh water (< 0.5‰ salinity) or sea water (32‰ salinity). Mean preferred temperatures comprised roughly parallel but irregularly inflected trends for the two series of tests, within each species. In mummichog, preferred temperatures for corresponding thermal acclimations ranged from 3 to 6 °C higher in tests conducted in sea water. In banded killifish, preferred temperatures for corresponding thermal acclimations ranged from 5 to 8 °C higher in fresh water. Thus, each species regularly preferred higher temperatures in salinity which approximated that of the typical habitat. The inference to be taken is that the unusual salinity for each species places an extraordinary osmoregulative load which influences the reactions of the fish to the series of thermal or other correlated stimuli in the gradient.

Thermal dependence of food assimilation and locomotor performance in juvenile blue-tailed skinks, Eumeces elegans

2007 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Xin Bao ◽  
Wei-Guo Du ◽  
Lin Shu ◽  
Yi-Wei Lu
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Assimilation Efficiency ◽  
Age Difference ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Thermal Dependence ◽  
Physiological Performance ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Food Assimilation

AbstractVariation in the physiological performance and behaviour of ectotherms as a result of changes in body temperature can affect important life-history traits. Studies investigating the effects of temperature on physiological performance and behaviour have thus clear ecological significance. We captured juvenile blue-tailed skinks, Eumeces elegans, from a population in Zhejiang, eastern China, and determined the effects of temperature on their food assimilation and locomotor performance. Food intake of the juveniles generally increased with increase in temperatures within the range of 24-30°C and decreased at higher temperatures. The temperature significantly affected the apparent digestive coefficient (ADC) and the assimilation efficiency (AE) of juveniles; the ADC and AE of the skinks at 32°C were higher than those of skinks at other temperatures. The sprint speed increased with increase in temperature within the range of 12-32°C and decreased at higher temperatures. These results suggest the patterns of thermal sensitivity may differ in various functional performances, and hence support the 'multiple optima hypothesis', which suggests that no specific temperature maximises all functional performance. In addition, this study indicates significant between-age difference in thermal physiology by comparing our data with those on adult skinks, including different thermal sensitivity of AE, and different ranges of thermal-performance breadth for food intake and locomotor performance between juvenile and adult E. elegans.

scholarly journals Staying warm is not always the norm: Behavioural differences in thermoregulation of two snake species

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo Giacometti ◽  
Katharine Yagi ◽  
Curtis R Abney ◽  
Matthew P Jung ◽  
Glenn Jeffery Tattersall
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Thamnophis Sirtalis ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Thermal Biology ◽  
Snake Species ◽  
Active Nature ◽  
Thermal Preferences ◽  
Insight Into

Thermal biology research compares field with laboratory data to elucidate the evolution of temperature-sensitive traits in ectotherms. The hidden challenge of many of these studies is discerning whether animals actively thermoregulate, since motivation is not typically assessed. By studying behaviours involved in thermoregulation, we can better understand the mechanisms behind body temperature control. Using an integrative approach, we assess thermoregulatory and thermotactic behaviours of two sympatric snake species with contrasting life histories, the generalist Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (Linnaeus, 1758) and the semi-fossorial Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata (Storer, 1839). We expected that thermoregulatory behaviours would be optimised based on life history, in that T. s. sirtalis would show higher evidence for thermally-oriented behaviours than S. o. occipitomaculata due to its active nature. Thamnophis s. sirtalis actively thermoregulated, had higher thermal preferences (29.4 ± 2.5 vs. 25.3 ± 3.6°C), and was more active than S. o. occipitomaculata, which showed relatively low evidence for thermotaxis. Our results build on the notion that evaluating movement patterns and rostral orientation towards a heat-source can help ascertain whether animals make thermally-motivated choices. Our data give insight into the thermoregulatory strategies used by snakes with different life histories, and maximise the information provided by behavioural thermoregulation experiments.

scholarly journals Harlequin Frogs (Lysapsus) prefer mild places to park

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Cunha Ganci ◽  
Zaida Ortega ◽  
Diogo B. Provete
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Locomotor Performance ◽  
Extreme Temperatures ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Jumping Performance ◽  
Total Distance ◽  
Jump Distance

AbstractTemperature affects most aspects of ectotherms’ life history, including physiology and behavior. Studying thermal sensitivity of jumping performance in frogs can help understanding the influence of temperature on different aspects of frog life. Still, studies on the effects of temperature on amphibians are commonly carried out on terrestrial and tree species, creating a gap for aquatic species. We experimentally tested the thermal sensitivity of jumping performance of the Uruguay Harlequin Frog, Lysapsus limellum, assessing three measures: response time, distance of first jump, and total distance travelled. We hypothesized that individuals submitted to extreme temperatures would increase response time, decrease first jump distance, and increase total jump distance. We used an arena with a gradient of air temperature (Ta) ranging from 20 to 40 °C. We placed frogs at different Ta and stimulated them to jump. Then, we analysed the influence of Ta on the three estimates of jumping performance, using generalized additive models. We found that temperature affected all three measurements of jumping performance, but some relationships were stronger than others. Extreme temperatures increased response time, reduced first jump distance, and increased total distance. The effect was weaker for response time and first jump distance, but substantially stronger for total distance jumped. Although individuals under extreme temperatures experience a reduced jumping performance, they travelled longer distances to find areas with milder temperatures. Thus, we showed that L. limellum thermoregulates by means of behavior, moving through places at different thermal conditions. Additionally, benefits of displacing to thermally suitable places -in terms of enhanced jumping performance-are bigger than the costs of jumping at reduced locomotor performance, at least under experimental conditions. Our results can help understand how climate change affects the locomotor performance of Neotropical amphibians.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document