THE RELATIONSHIP OF MICROCLIMATIC FACTORS AND THEIR EFFECT ON VIPERS BODY TEMPERATURE
OF THE VOLGA-KAMA REGION 

Chetanov Nikolay Anatol'evich, Candidate of biological sciences, associate professor, sub-department of biology and geography, Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University (24 Sibirskaya street, Perm, Russia); associate professor, sub-department of zoology of vertebrates and ecology, Perm State National Research University (15 Bukiryova street, Perm, Russia), E-mail: chetanov_n@pspu.ru
Litvinov Nikolay Antonovich, Candidate of biological sciences, professor, sub-department of biology and geography, Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University (24 Sibirskaya street, Perm, Russia), E-mail: litvinov@pspu.ru 

598.115.33+57.045 

DOI

10.21685/2307-9150-2019-1-17 

Background. At present, the correlation between microclimatic environmental factors of vipers and their body temperature is relatively poorly studied. We attempted to determine the level of correlation between microclimatic factors of habitat and body temperature for two species of vipers of the Volga-Kama region.
Materials and methods. Body temperatures and microclimatic habitat conditions (temperatures of the substrate and surface air; relative air humidity, solar radiation) were determined for 205 light morph of common vipers, 98 black morphs, 235 steppe vipers from the Lower Volga region and 80 individuals from Tatarstan. Snakes of similar sizes taken into account under close weather conditions were counted. For assessment of interrelation of variables was used the coefficient of correlation of Pearson.
Results. Strong correlation of body temperature with temperatures of substrate and ground air is in most cases revealed. With other microclimatic parameters reliable correlation communication is not revealed. The common viper from the Kamskoye Preduralie also has a strong reliable relationship with the power density of total solar radiation.
Conclusions. In our opinion, these observations indicate that when living in colder climates, an additional source of heat is required, which is sunlight, while at the steppe viper living considerably to the south the similar dependence is expressed much less strongly. 

Key words

common viper, steppe viper, microclimatic factors, body temperature, correlation 

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