Metabolic rate and endurance capacity in Australian varanid lizards (Squamata; Varanidae; Varanus)

Authors

Christofer Clemente
Philip Withers
Graham Thompson, Edith Cowan University

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Faculty

Faculty of Business and Law

School

School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure / Centre for Ecosystem Management

RAS ID

8519

Comments

Clemente, C. J., Withers, P. C., & Thompson, G. G. (2009). Metabolic rate and endurance capacity in Australian varanid lizards (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 97(3), 664-676. Available here

Abstract

In ecomorphological and ecophysiological studies, locomotor performance is often considered to be an intermediate step between the form of an organism and its environment. We examined this premise by measuring morphology, physiology and circular track endurance in the closely related group of Australian varanid lizards. Body size, body mass and relative body proportions were poor indicators of endurance. Body mass was not correlated with endurance and size-free lower forelimb length had only a weak relationship with endurance. Instead, maximal metabolic rate was positively correlated with endurance capacity in varanids. A comparison of varanids with other groups of lizards supported this result as varanids showed both elevated maximal metabolic rate and elevated endurance scores when compared with similar sized non-varanid lizards. There was support for a strong association between endurance with foraging mode and climate. Varanid species with higher endurance tended to be widely foraging and from xeric climates, while sit-and-wait and mesic species showed reduced endurance.

DOI

10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01207.x

Access Rights

free_to_read