Skin Resistance to Water Loss in Viperid Snakes

Razi Dmi’el

Abstract


Many desert snakes show reduced rates of cutaneous water loss (CWL) compared to species from more humid habitats. To investigate whether this reduction is due to climatic or experimental conditions or it may be attributed more to the taxonomic position of the snake, the skin resistance to water loss, Rs, was compared among four species of viperid snakes occupying in Israel different climatic regions and habitats: mesic Mediterranean (Vipera xanthina palaestinae), steppe and desert areas (Echis colorata), and extreme desert (Cerastes cerastes and Pseudocerastes persicus fieldi). Cutaneous and respiratory water loss, oxygen consumption, cloacal and skin temperatures were measured in these nocturnal snakes at three air temperatures (25, 30, and 35°C); the experimental values were then used to calculate the Rs. Cutaneous water loss of Vipera, the mesic-Mediterranean species, increased from 0.105 mg/(cm2  h) at 25°C to 0.175 mg/(cm2  h) at 35°C. These CWL are 2 to 2.8-fold higher than those of the desert species. Rs of Vipera decreased from 878 s/cm at 25°C to 706 s/cm at 35°C. Rs of the desert species were twice those obtained for Vipera (up to 1921 s/cm in Pseudocerastes at 35°C), and they increased with increasing experimental temperatures. These Rs changes, which probably reflect vasomotor responses, were more pronounced in Pseudocerastes, the desert species with the most conspicuous diurnal activity.

Keywords


Reptilia; Ophidia; Viperidae; cutaneous water loss; skin resistance; habitat aridity

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-1998-5-1-5-9

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