Abstract

HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 5, pp. 281-284 (1995)

THERMOREGULATION OF THE AMPHISBAENIAN ZYGASPIS QUADRIFRONS

ADRIAN HAILEY AND MICHELE ELLIOT¹

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zimbabwe. P.O. Box MP 167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe
^{1Present address: 7138 Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA}

The mean selected temperature of Zygaspis quadrifrons in a thermal gradient was 23.1 ^oC, similar to other amphisbaenians. Body temperatures of amphisbaenians are lower than those of other squamates, but are similar to those of fossorial snakes and lizards, apart from skinks. The precision of thermoregulation in Z. quadrifrons was low; body temperatures had a SD of 3.8^oC and an interquartile range of 6.0^oC.