Variation in body temperature as a consequence of the response to heating lights under a light-dark cycle in the Chinese cobra Naja atra(In English)

摘要

We used 7 Chinese cobras Naja atra to investigate variation in body temperature as a consequence of the response to heating lights under a light - dark cycle . Two trials of which each lasted 9 successive days were conducted, with one trial having lights on during the day ( DPNS, day/photophase - night/scotophase ) and the other having lights on during night ( NPDS, night/photophase - day/scotophase ). C obras could regulate their body temperatures when the lights were on; however, at no time during the photophase did all cobras simultaneously maintain higher body temperatures. Temporal variation in the percentage of thermally active cobras was evident in both trials, with the oscillations of activity being relatively more obvious in the NPDS trial. During the photophase, the percentage of thermally active cobras generally was higher in the DPNS trial than in the NPDS trial. Temporal variation in body temperature was not evident for thermally active cobras in either trial. Thermally active cobras maintained on average higher body temperatures in the DPNS trial than in the NPDS trial, whereas thermally inactive cobras did not differ in mean body temperature between both trials. The upper level of body temperatures selected by thermally active cobras was higher in the DPNS trial (31.1 ± 0.8 ° C) than in the NPDS trial (26.0 ± 0.9 ° C). At no time during the course of each trial did cobras maintain body temperatures lower than ambient temperatures [ A cta Zoologica Sinica 51(1): 38 - 45, 2005]