Postprandial thermogenesis in Bothrops moojeni (Serpentes: Viperidae)

Abstract

Snakes that can ingest prey that are proportionally large have high metabolic rates during digestion. This great increase in metabolic rate (specific dynamic action -SDA) may create a significant augment in the animal's body temperature. The present study investigated postprandial thermogenesis in Bothrops moojeni. Briefly, two groups of snakes were fed meals equivalent to 17 ± 3% and 32 ± 5% of their body weight and were observed for 72 hours, in which thermal images of each snake were taken with an infrared camera in a thermostable environment with a constant air temperature of 30°C. The results showed a significant increase in snake surface temperature, with a thermal peak between 33 and 36 hours after feeding. The meal size had a great impact on the intensity and duration of the thermogenic response. Such increase in temperature appears to be connected with the huge increase in metabolic rates during digestion of relatively large prey by snakes that feed infrequently. The ecologic implication of the thermogenic response is still not well understood; however, it is possible that its presence could affect behaviors associated with the snake digestion, such as postprandial thermophily.

Infrared thermography: A non-invasive window into thermal physiology

“…For example, in snakes, IRT has revealed a whole body thermogenesis that accompanies the processes of digestion. This specific dynamic action of feeding leads to metabolic rates that last for days that are up to 10 times above resting levels (Stuginski et al, 2011;Tattersall et al, 2004), which leads to body temperatures in normally ectothermic animals reaching up to 2°C higher than ambient temperatures.…”

Circadian pattern of Bothrops moojeni in captivity (Serpentes: Viperidae)

“…The movement diminution of snakes that consumed greater amounts of food may be related to satiety, while the maintenance of the movement rate among group C snakes may represent a continual search for food. However, it is difficult to take this conclusion from our data given the other factors that could be related to inter-group differences including dislocation cost, thermophilic behavior and thermogenesis (31,32).…”

Decision Points: The Factors Influencing the Decision to Feed in the Medicinal Leech

“…Feeding shifts the leeches’ preference toward warming temperatures up to 24°C 1 day after feeding and elevated temperature preferences persist for up to 10 days. This phenomenon, termed post-prandial thermophily, is thought to aid animals in the digestion of their meal and has been extensively studied in reptiles (Sievert et al, 2005 ; Tsai and Tu, 2005 ; Bontrager et al, 2006 ; Stuginski et al, 2011 ). The study by Peterson et al is likely the first to report such behavior in an invertebrate and it would be highly interesting to see if other obligate sanguivores such as the tick ( Ixodidae ) described above show similar behavior.…”