Living in a shallow burrow under a rock: Gas exchange and water loss in an Australian scorpion
Date
2008
Authors
Woodman, James
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Publisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Ltd
Abstract
The scorpion, Urodacus manicatus (Scorpionida: Urodacidae), inhabits temperate sclerophyll woodland in south-eastern Australia and excavates a shallow burrow into soil beneath a rock. Mean minimum and maximum temperatures within a burrow were respectively higher and lower than outside measurements, and relative humidity within a burrow remained higher than outside the burrow at all times. Using flow-through respirometry, VCO2 and water loss were measured at three ecologically relevant temperatures (10, 20 and 30 °C) to assess patterns of gas exchange and the temperature dependence of VCO2 and water loss rates. Daytime VCO2 corresponds to a lower metabolic rate than reported for the closely related, but more arid region inhabiting species Urodacus armatus and Urodacus yaschenkoi. CO2 output is continuous at 10 °C; however, at 20 °C scattered sharp depressions are observed and these become more frequent and periodic at 30 °C. Total water loss in U. manicatus is nearly double that in U. armatus, indicative of lessened selective pressure for water conservation within a mesic rather than xeric environment.
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Keywords: animal experiment; article; Australia; environment; forest; gas exchange; habitat; humidity; metabolism; nonhuman; respirometry; rock; scorpion; soil; temperature; temperature dependence; water loss; Arthropoda; Scorpiones; Urodacidae; Urodacus; Urodacus Arthropods; Gas exchange; Respirometry; Temperature; Underground burrow
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Source
Journal of Thermal Biology
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Journal article
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2037-12-31
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