Dry Skin - Springer Nature

Behavioural hydroregulation protects against acute effects of drought in a dry-skinned ectotherm

In a two-by-two factorial scheme, we introduced people to a simulated heatwave together with water deprivation for three weeks, as well as adjusting air vapour density and microclimate. A shelter that provided a moist microclimate reduced dehydration and muscle wasting at the individual level for Vipers exposed to dry air. These findings reveal the first experimental evidence that active behavioural hydroregulation can reduce specific physiological stress responses in an ectotherm that have been caused by a dry spell. Future studies looking at organismal responses to climate change should consider the habitat's humidity gradient and incorporate both hydroregulation and thermoregulation behaviors.

Source link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-022-05299-1

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