We measured rates of evaporative water loss (EWL) in Litoria aurea at 25, 30, 33, and 35°C. There was a substantial rise in EWL over this range of temperatures, averaging 12.3 and 23.5 mg g-1 h-1 at 25 and 35°C, respectively. The rise in EWL over this temperature interval was associated with a corresponding drop in cutaneous resistance to water vapour flux (rc) which steadily declined from 6.9 to 3.5 s cm-1. The average highest rc measured for these eight frogs was 7 s cm-1 which places this species amongst frogs considered to have moderately waterproof skins. We also quantified the spectral reflectance of L aurea dorsal skin at wavelengths between 280 and 900 nm, The skin had a peak at 550 nm which was expected for a green frog, but lacked the abrupt rise in reflectance at about 700 nm found in green leaves and some other species of green, leaf-sitting Litoria species. The absence of high near-infra-red reflectivity in L aurea is attributed to its retention of melanin as a darkening pigment instead of pterorhodin which is used instead by green, leaf-sitting Litorine and Phyllomedusine frogs showing complete crypsis with green leaves.
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Research-Article|
March 17 2014
Cutaneous properties of the Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea
W. A. Buttemer;
W. A. Buttemer
1
Department of Biological Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522
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M. van der Wielen;
M. van der Wielen
2
School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia 5042
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S. Dain;
S. Dain
3
School of Optometry, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052
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M. Christy
M. Christy
4
School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2006
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Australian Zoologist (1996) 30 (2): 134–138.
Citation
W. A. Buttemer, M. van der Wielen, S. Dain, M. Christy; Cutaneous properties of the Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea. Australian Zoologist 1 May 1996; 30 (2): 134–138. doi: https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.1996.003
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