Abstract
Abstract 1. Rates of water loss were measured in two aberrant scaleless water snakes, Natrix sipedon, and in six normal animals. 2. Pulmocutaneous water loss of the scaleless animals was equal to or less than that of the controls at 20, 27, and 34°C. 3. The thermal dependence of pulmocutaneous water loss in all snakes was low (Q10 = 1·31–1·89). 4. The proportion of total water loss due to cutaneous evaporation (86·5%) in a scaleless animal at 20°C was similar to that previously reported for normal Natrix. 5. Thus, reptilian scales and their associated features (e.g. thick keratin layers, superficial dermal layer) cannot be considered adaptations for the curtailment of integumentary water loss.
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