Summary
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1.
Rates of water loss and tolerance to desiccation were examined in 11 species of Caribbean Anolis and the Sonoran desert iguanid lizard, Urosaurus ornatus.
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2.
Rates of water loss ranged from 0.07% body wt/h (A. bonairensis) to 0.43% body wt/h (A. distichus).
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3.
There were significant correlations between habitat rainfall and both the rates of water loss (P<0.005) and the maximum time of survival (LTmax) (P<0.01) for the 11 species of Anolis. Species from areas of low rainfall generally had lower rates of water loss and survived longer than species from areas of high rainfall.
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4.
There was no correlation between habitat rainfall and the ability to withstand desiccation; therefore differences in LTmax are probably the result of differences in rates of water loss.
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5.
Rates of water loss did not significantly correlate with either structural niche or ecomorphic category.
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6.
Since rates of water loss varied to a large degree within closely related species groups, there is apparently little phylogenetic inertia for this physiologic parameter.
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Hillman, S.S., Gorman, G.C. Water loss, desiccation tolerance, and survival under desiccating conditions in 11 species of Caribbean Anolis . Oecologia 29, 105–116 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345791
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00345791