Effects of environmental hypoxia and hypercarbia on ventilation and gas exchange in Testudines.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ventilatory parameters have been investigated in several species of Testudines, but few species have had their ventilatory pattern fully characterized by presenting all variables necessary to understand changes in breathing pattern seen under varying environmental conditions.

Methods

We measured ventilation and gas exchange at 25 °C in the semi-aquatic turtle Trachemys scripta and the terrestrial tortoise Chelonoidis carbonarius under normoxia, hypoxia, and hypercarbia and furthermore compiled respiratory data of testudine species from the literature to analyze the relative changes in each variable.

Results

During normoxia both species studied showed an episodic breathing pattern with two to three breaths per episode, but the non-ventilatory p

SUBMITTER: Trevizan-Bau P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6045925 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature