Inferring the effect of abiotic factors on body temperature and water loss on agar models of the Sabanera frog (Dendropsophus molitor) in Cajicá- Cundinamarca

Abstract

Amphibians have physiological restrictions on the permeability of their skin due to a high probability of dehydration by evapotranspiration in environments with high temperatures and low water availability. Dendropsophus molitor is a semi-aquatic species with basking behavior that uses thermoregulatory mechanisms to carry out their vital processes. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of environmental variables, microhabitat type, and color on body temperature and water loss in D. molitor. We used agar models with two color patterns placed in two types of microhabitats (wet and dry), each with two conditions (sun and shade), and measured the percentage of weight change and body temperature. We used statistical analyzes such as correlation, linear mixed effects models, and the variance inflation factor method. In our study, the color of the agar models was not significant. However, the variables dew point, relative humidity, solar radiation, substrate temperature, and microhabitat each affected the percentage of weight change and body temperature. Both variables increased between the dry and sun microhabitat conditions and the dry and shaded conditions between 12:00 and 16:00 hours. Evapotranspiration is closely related to radiation, and the vapor pressure deficit is relevant to amphibian body temperature because they cool by the evapotranspiration of water through their skin. Finally, variables at the microhabitat level are vital for these species and should be incorporated into this kind of work.

Keywords

• amphibians
• colombia
• dew point
• substrate temperature
• thermal ecology