Further Observations on Thermoregulation in the Brooding Female Python molurus bivittatus (Serpentes: Boidae)

Abstract

in ambient temperature (TA) with an increase in oxygen consumption and contraction rate and was able to maintain a stable body temperature (TB) above 33 C until TA fell below 26 C. At a TA of 23 C the temperature differential TB - TA was 8.3 C and oxygen consumption had increased to a mean of 169 ml 02 kg-lhr-1, 20 times that of the non-gravid animal at the same TA. An increase of TA caused a decrease of contraction rate and oxygen consumption. Mean daily oxygen consumption of the eggs during the last 9 days of incubation ranged from 110 to 130 ml 02 kg-lhr-1. Mean standard metabolic rate of day-old hatchlings was 124 ml 02 kg-lhr-1 at a TA of 28 C. Air samples from among the eggs inside the body coil during incubation had a CO2 concentration of 1%. Standard metabolic rate of the non-gravid animal increased with temperature, but not in a simple, exponential fashion.