Study on the Thermal Selection of Female Chinese Green Tree Viper, Trimeresurus s. stejnegeri

Abstract

本研究探討臺灣赤尾青竹絲雌蛇成體的實驗室内溫度梯度槽中的選溫行為。赤尾青竹絲於攝食後或懷孕時均會選擇較高的溫度。未生殖群雌蛇(N=16)於攝食前、後的偏好溫度分別為21.2±1.4℃(T□=17.0～25.9℃)及24.8±1.5℃(T□=22.5～29.3℃)，而產前的懷孕雌蛇(N=5)其偏好溫度為27.4±2.0℃。然而不同的實驗方法所得到的結果會有差異，以熱電偶線插入泄殖腔測量體溫的方法會造成雌蛇舉尾行為並干擾其選溫。當溫度梯度槽内有提供隱蔽處及水時，將減低雌蛇於選溫過程中所受的干擾；此時雌蛇才會表現出攝食後趨高溫的行為。

We study the thermal selection of adult female Chinese green tree vipers in a thigmothermal gradient. Preferred temperature was higher after feeding or during pregnancy. Pre -and post-prandial preferred temperatures of non-reproductive females (N=16) were 21.2±1.4℃ (T□=17.0~25.9℃) and 24.8±1.5℃ (T□=22.5~29.3℃), respectively. Preferred temperature of pregnant snakes (N=5) was 27.4±2.0℃. Different results were found with different methods of recording temperature. With thermocouple, female green tree vipers frequently lifted their prehensile tails from the gradient floor, biasing temperature recordings. With videotape records of position, females showed postprandial thermophily only when provided with seclusion sites and water.