Water balance in Ceratophrys ornata from two different environments

GABRIELA A CANZIANI, M.A CANNATA

COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Año: 1980 vol. 66 p. 599 - 603

1095-6433

Abstract 1. 1. Water loss and uptake measured in Ceratophrys ornata from two climatic zones were found to be significantly different. 2. 2. Animals from the arid, subtropical Chaco lose less water by surface evaporation than those from the humid, temperate area of Buenos Aires. 3. 3. Water uptake is higher in toads from the temperate zone. 4. 4. Ventral skin surfaces differ in these two groups and their characteristics correlate with the water exchange patterns. 5. 5. It is suggested that the ability to reduce water loss is of a greater selective value in the Ceratophrys population.