Effect of temperature, hypoxia and hypercarbia in the ventilation and metabolism of two populations of lizards Tropidurus torquatus

• Grant number: 13/20421-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Compared Physiology
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Luciane Helena Gargaglioni Batalhão
• Grantee: Lays de Souza Porto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Many studies have demonstrated that environment influences the animal physiology and ecology. In addition, environmental changes may promote physiological and behavioral adaptations of an individual, thus tracing its life story. Ambient temperature is a factor that exerts wide influence on physiological processes and may cause changes in breathing patterns of some species. Moreover, hypoxic and hipercarbic conditions also modulate the ventilatory and metabolic responses. Among vertebrates, the lizards are considered a good model for many studies, since they are easy to observe, capture and handling. The species Tropidurus torquatus, member of Tropiduridae family, represents the largest distribution of Tropidurus genera and, in Brazil; this species inhabits marshes, open areas and coastal areas, and some offshore islands. Since this species inhabits different habitats and presents a wide occurrence, it is possible that distinct populations of T. torquatus, subject to different climatic and geographical conditions may present changes in metabolic, ventilatory responses and thermal preference. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the oxygen consumption, ventilation and thermal preference during normoxic normocapnia, hypoxia (5% O2) and hypercarbia (5% CO2) of two distinct populations of the species Tropidurus torquatus, collected in the southern region (pampa biome) and Northeast (resting biome) of Brazil. (AU)