Occlusion of the parietal eye induces a transient wavelength‐dependent shift in lizard thermoregulatory set points

Abstract

AbstractThermoregulatory set points—i.e., the body temperatures at which heat‐seeking or cooling behavior are initiated—of the lacertid lizard Podarcis muralis were measured by infrared thermography before and after covering the parietal eye with light filters with different cutoff points. The results show that shielding the parietal eye results in a transient alteration of thermoregulatory set points; this effect is wavelength‐dependent. Mean heating rates, bask and forage durations were not affected by the shielding of the parietal eye with any of the filters used. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.