Effects of thermophily-relevant temperature variation and sex on digestive performance in pythons

Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2024 Apr 2;293:111636. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111636. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTDifferent physiological performances are often optimized at slightly varying temperatures, which can lead to ectotherms selecting higher body temperatures during certain physiological efforts (e.g., digestion, reproduction). Such thermophilic responses can lead to temperature-based tradeoffs between two physiological activities with differing optimal temperatures or between optimizing a physiological activity and water balance, as water loss is elevated at higher temperatures. For example, ectotherms will often select a higher body temperature after consuming a meal, but the extent to which body temperature is elevated after eating is affected by its hydric state. Despite this known hydration state-based suppression of thermophily associated with digestion, the impact of this reduced body temperature on digestion performance is unknown. Accordingly, we determined whether small, thermophily-relevant changes in body temperature impact digestive efficiency or passage time and whether sex influenced the extent of the effect. Eighteen (9 female and 9 male) Children's pythons (Antaresia childreni) each consumed a meal at three temperatures (29 °C, 30 °C, and 31 °C), and gut passage time and digestive efficiency were determined. We found that neither metric was affected by temperature over the range tested. However, digestive efficiency was significantl...
Source: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular and integrative physiology. - Category: Physiology Authors: Source Type: research