Hi Bill, SCOTT just called me, but I could not talk. I called back and left a message. hahahahahahaha
First, this is getting off topic, so your welcome to come over to our forum(varanus.net) We allow off topic reptile talk, as long as it can help us understand varanids, and boy we think about all wild reptile stuff does.

We normally use the varanid forum for all this kind of talk, but if its busy, we can always move it over to the general herp forum, but its never THAT busy.

About temps and lizards. There are some very important differences in how animals maintain their body temps.

Birds and mammals maintain a rather narrow body temp, and do so, mostly internally(metabolism) Reptiles, including varanids, use some metabolism and mostly the enviornment. Of course you know that. And so do the academics. Its how(the actual behaviors) that is the HUGE difference.

Academics somehow(got me, I have no idea how) they get their operating temps from the same temp they need. For instance, if what they need at the moment is 93.7F, they(odd people) think they should bask at 93.7F to get that. That is so far from how they do that, its scary off. They use much higher temps to attain set temps. Then move or pant or tail lift, or body angle, to maintain that needed temp. Or jump in the cool cool water, or in the exhaust of my mouse room. Yes, local lizards take advantage of the cooler air coming out of our room, in the hot part of the day, but in the cooler times, they use it to attain warmer temps. Those dang things are not stupid.

Then you must consider, they do NOT maintain one set temp. They indeed use the most efficient temp for the task at hand. Some tasks require high temps, some medium temps and some cooler temps. Hence the range we offer. They can pick what the HADIES they want. I do not have to know, what or why. They JUST have to have that ability.

Common tasks that require temps above base(cool shelter temps) are such things as.

Shedding
digesting food, different temps for different amounts.
growing
building the immune system
during certain periods of the reproductive cycle.

Your so very right, Varanids are NOT cold blooded, they are very much the opposite. They merely do not use metabolism to gain that heat. Their body temps are very similar to birds. Only it has a greater range. And they include cool temps for conservation of energy. You know, like some night hawks that drop their body temps during winter.

So, yea, come over and we can talk collard lizards like crazy and not have to make obvious connections to varanids. Cheers

[ Show Entire Thread ]