Specific
Dynamic Action of Feeding in Snakes |
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Some
snakes have a feeding regime characterized by the infrequent
ingestion of relatively large meals, causing impressive
increments in post-prandial metabolism. Metabolism remains
elevated for many days, while digestion proceeds, resulting
in a considerable investment of time and energy in such
an activity. In this study, we investigated the possibility
that an endogenously-derived heat, originating as a
by-product of the post-prandial increase in metabolism,
could contribute to a higher body temperature in the
South American rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus, during
digestion. We assessed heat production, at a constant
environmental temperature, by taking infrared (IR) images
of snakes during fasting and after being fed meals varying
from 10% to 50% of their own body masses. Our results
show clearly that digesting rattlesnakes have their
body temperature significantly increased, even when
being precluded from adjusting their thermoregulatory
behavior. The alterations in body temperature following
feeding, correlate closely with the temporal profile
of changes in post-prandial metabolism. Moreover, the
magnitude of thermogenesis is greater for snakes fed
large meals, as is the case for the corresponding metabolic
response. |
Publications
Tattersall, G.
J., Milsom, W. K., Abe, A. S., Brito, S. P., de Andrade,
D. V. 2004. The thermogenesis of digestion in
rattlesnakes. Journal
of Experimental Biology. 207: 579-585. 
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