I have looked up in my textbooks on Herpetology and Vertebrate Biology about metabolism during hibernation and mostly find information about metabolism related to thermoregulation in heat. I am just so impressed with my skinks' ability to just bury themselves in the sand or under a rock and not eat or drink for months at a time as long as the nighttime temp drops to a certain level. I would love to find some literature that discusses this phenomenal ability. It would be interesting to see how reptile hibernating metabolism compares to mammal hibernating metabolism. Also, comparing across group lines... lizards vs. tortoises vs. amphibians. Snakes would probably be extremely similar to lizards in this regard, although it's interesting to me how lizards can hibernate just based on eating enough insects and plant material, while snakes can eat power meals before they go down. I just am so impressed with reptiles' amazing energy conservation abilities.
-----
Lisa Rakestraw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My skinks:
1.1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni, baby Charlemagne)
2.2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa their babies)
2.3.9 Egernia striolata

Hubby's snakes:
1.0 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]