Non-Contact Infrared Thermometers Can Accurately Measure Amphibian Body Temperatures

摘要

Body temperature affects almost all biochemical and physiological processes in ectothermic organisms (Hutchinson and Dupre" 1992), and thus affects movement, habitat selection and ther-moregulatory behavior (Bartelt and Peterson 2005). A variety of devices have been used to determine the body temperatures of amphibians in the field. The most typical is a thermocouple probe connected to a quick-reading thermometer, which has been used to measure skin (Brattstrom 1963; Heath 1975; Lillywhite 1970; Navas 1996; Tracy 1976), oral (Brattstrom 1963; Lillywhite et al. 1973; Lilly white et al. 1998), or cloacal (Brattstrom 1963; Cabanac and Cabanac 2004; John-Alder et al. 1988; Passmore and Malherbe 1985; Thorson 1955; Vences et al. 2002) temperature. These methods require manual handling of each individual, which may artificially elevate its body temperature (due to conduction; Navas and Araujo 2000), or may alter the behaviour of individuals in studies of a longer duration (i.e., by capture stress).