Thermoregulation of Small American Alligators

Eight American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) ranging from 37 to 96 g were heated and cooled in water (15-35-15°C). Mean (± 1 SE) thermal time constants for warming and cooling were 2.26 (± 0.80) and 2.35 (± 0.83) minutes, respectively, indicating that small alligators heat and cool at the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Herpetologica 1978-12, Vol.34 (4), p.406-408
Main Authors: Smith, E. Norbert, Steven R. Adams
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alligators
Animal physiology
Blood flow
Body temperature
Confidence interval
Cooling
Herpetology
Thermoregulation
Time constants
Zoos
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Summary:Eight American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) ranging from 37 to 96 g were heated and cooled in water (15-35-15°C). Mean (± 1 SE) thermal time constants for warming and cooling were 2.26 (± 0.80) and 2.35 (± 0.83) minutes, respectively, indicating that small alligators heat and cool at the same rate. Combining these data with previously published data provided thermal time constants for 20 alligators ranging from 37 g to 7.46 kg. Regression formulas relating warming and cooling time constants (τ in min) to body mass (M in kg) are τw=$(8.53\pm 0.14)\ {\rm M}^{0.47\pm 0.11}$and$\tau _{{\rm c}}$=$(12.21\pm 0.19)\ {\rm M}^{0.59\pm 0.14}$respectively (limits indicate 95% confidence intervals).
ISSN:0018-0831
1938-5099