Respiratory and hematological adaptations to high altitude in Telmatobius frogs from the chilean andes

Abstract

1. 1. Cutaneous and pulmonary oxygen uptake has been determined in the Andean frog T. marmoratus, collected above 4300 m, and hematological values measured in this and three other Telmatobius species from high altitude. 2. 2. At different temperatures cutaneous respiration was consistently higher than pulmonary O 2 consumption. 3. 3. At 10°C citical pO 2 was 94 torr, similar to the pO 2 levels found in the highest stream sites. 4. 4. All four Telmatobius species had a large number of very small RBC s. 5. 5. The MCV in T. pefauri may be considered as the smallest reported for amphibians, while the MCHC in T. peruvianus is the highest known in this class.