Leeway Corucia research Center (LCRC)





Natural Climate:





Corucia zebrata is a high-canopy arboreal lizard (Schnirel {POLYPHEMOS -2004}) . In



the Solomon archipelago, there is little seasonal variation in temperature. Rainfall



varies in that there is a dry season from June- August and a wet season from



February to May and from September to November.



Temperature varies in latitude with the average temperature declining about 4



degrees F. per 990 feet change in elevation. Taking this and information from



23 year climate data from Honiara on Guadalcanal which has an elevation of 594



feet, the following can be complied on Corucia temperture at the appropriate



higher elevation. The general range in temperature would be from 68 degrees F. at



night and 84 degrees F. during the day. Extremes compensated for elevation would



be 59 degrees at the absolute minimum and 92 degrees at the maximum. The upper



canopy in the mountains would have a decending airflow at night during semi-prime



Corucia activity. The upper elevations at night have Katabatic winds (also known as



Fall or Bora winds) which decend towards the coast as the lower elevations have an



outward flow of air towards the warmer, nighttime ocean.



Evaporation at prime temperature and humidity with a gentle downward Katabatic



















wind would be at 6.17 - 9.33 mm (.24 -.37 inches) in a 24 hr. period. A value greater



than the maximum would cause uncomfort and desiccation to Corucia zebrata. A



consistent lower rate of evaporation from the minimum can lead to parasitic fungal



and bacteria infections. The Moon Condition characterised by crater-like pits



(Schnirel, 2002) Is caused by Pseudomonas bacteria (DuPont, 2002). Since climatic



studies have not been done in the higher terrain of the Solomons; let alone the



upper-canopy, this data is based on research done at the Leeway Corucia Research



Center (LCRC) using a L-2 series evaporimeter with a 30 mm diameter. Conditions



of the upper rainforest canopy in the higher terrain environment of Corucia zebrata



were duplicated as much as possible to the conditions described above. This included



a slight downward Katabatic-like airflow at night. The conditions used would be



optimum and matchable for captive propagation of Corucia zebrata and thus, these



evaporation figures would be of greatest value for non wild Corucia. Due to no



actual studies in the canopies where Corucia zebrata reside, some slight



variation in the above results are possible. Some factors to consider can be



amount of filtered sunlight, % of time the Corucia canopy is in a cloud forest



environment (Quantity of water held in the clouds), height arrangement of the



forest canopy, and velocity / turbulence of the wind. Merriam (1973) studied





















the effects of horizontal preciptation (fog drip) using artifical leaves in a fog



wind tunnel. The special distribution of leaves and the properties of their



surface may have to be taken into account for assessment of area evaporation.



This would be especially so during periods of precipitation. Fog drip depends



on total leaf surface as well as whether the leaves possess drip tips.



Assessment of the leaves of the high canopy of the Solomon archipelago



would depend on the ratio of tree leaves and their relative design to leaves



of Pothos and other vines present in the canopy.





Humidity should be 62% at the minimum, with 84-92% an average. Since heavy



rainshowers are common, especially in the wet season, 100% is common and relished



by Corucia which become very active in a downpour. However, as mentioned



above, excessive periods of stagnant humidity at or near 100% is unnatural and



potentially detrimental.











Corucia based on captive observations seem to prefer to drink water in the



following three categories:







1). Being from a rainforest environment, Corucia seem to prefer first to obtain



drinking water directly from natural rain showers which are often frequent in the



Solomons, primarily in the rainy season.





2). Also indicative of a rainforest environment, Corucia will drink water



secondarily from standing leaves- especially those of a drip-tip design (designed



to eliminate excess water by the plant; thereby stopping fungal growth).





3). If pools are available, (In the wild tree top canopy, this would manifest



itself through pools in crouches of trees), Corucia will tertiary drink water from



this method.







References:





de Vosjoli Phillippe; Account from the Daily journals of Phillippe Fast, Frank; 1995. de Vosjoli and Frank Fast. The Vivarium,

Volume 6-Number 5, Escondido, California,

U.S.A. pp 4-7, 12-17, 36-38, 40-44.





McCoy, Michael; Reptiles of the Solomon Islands. Wau Ecology

1980. Institute, Handbook No. 7:30. Papua New

Guinea.



Merriam, R.A. Fog drip from artificial leaves in a fog wind

1973. tunnel. Water Resources Research 9(6) :

1591 - 1596.





Parker, F.; 1983. The prehensile tailed-skink (Corucia zebrata)

on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea.

Advances in Herpetology and Evolutionary

Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology,

Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. pp.

435-440.



Schnirel, Brian L. 2004. Seni biometric analysis on the extinct Scincidae species:

Macroscincus coctei. Polyphemos, Volume 2, Issue 1,

May, Florence, South Carolina, U.S.A. pp. 12-22.





Brian

LCRC

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