Abstract
Amphibians that breed in early spring may encounter considerable variation in ambient temperature. In this study, I investigated how the metabolic rate of male and female Small-Mouthed Salamanders (Ambystoma texanum) is influenced by variation in temperature (5–20°C) during the reproductive season. As expected, both rates of resting oxygen consumption (VO2) and resting carbon dioxide production (VCO2) increased with increasing temperature. Both measures of respiration were significantly higher in gravid females than in males and postgravid females across all temperatures. Moreover, the VO2 of gravid females increased more with increasing temperature than did those of either males or postgravid females. These findings suggest that variation in ambient temperature may have an important influence on the energetic cost of reproductive activity in males and females in this species and in other spring-breeding amphibians.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
