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Stuart Forum Clown
Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 16835 Location: Hertfordshire
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: Interesting Gila article |
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Quoted from BBC wildlife mag...
"Gila monsters in the deserts of the south-western US delay dehydration by tapping into water stored in their bladders.
Noting that gila's may go for weeks with their bladders bloated with urine,biologists Jon Davis and Dale Denardo wondered wether the lizards may use the organ as a reservoir during drought.To find out they used ultrasound and other methods to visualise the bladder and measure the hydration status of wild caught gilas.
The bladder,unlike mammals.was indeed permeable to water and lizards deprived of food and water eventually reabsorbed water from the urine back into the circulation.The urine hydrated the animals as effectively as drinking fresh water.The lizards that started the study with full bladders staved off dehydration for up to 120 days,roughly 2.5 times longer than those that began with an empty bladder.
When dehydrated lizards were offered water they binged.Within 1 day they were not only fully hydrated but also equipped with a fresh store of bladder water for future,undoubetdly drier days!" _________________
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SiUK Key Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 248 Location: Somerset
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Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject: |
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thats pretty cool, interesting article _________________ Theres nothing right on the left side of my head and nothing left on the right |
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Tricolourhognose61 I'm new here...
Joined: 09 Jul 2007 Posts: 18 Location: West Yorkshire Gods Own County
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 2:57 am Post subject: |
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HI all,
Desert tortoise, do the same thing with their bladder.
tricolourhognose61 _________________ Royal Python 110 Nikon D200
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Cali King 010 Nikon D 200
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Tricolour Hognose 100 Nikon D 200
Corn Snakes 122 |
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leeroytheboy Contributing Member
Joined: 02 Jun 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Belfast
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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Thats fascinating. Someday in the not too far future my kid bro and I are going to try and get a pair. Be a really good asset to the collection. _________________ "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy" - Tom Waits |
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Stuart Forum Clown
Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 16835 Location: Hertfordshire
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject: |
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They are great lizards Lee..would look great in a large display viv. _________________
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leeroytheboy Contributing Member
Joined: 02 Jun 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Belfast
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Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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Yep, I agree....the problem would be space at the minute as I am planning a saltwater aquarium.......... _________________ "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy" - Tom Waits |
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