Data from: Empirical estimation of skin resistance to water loss in amphibians: agar evaluation as a non-resistance model to evaporation
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Total resistance (R<sub>T</sub>) to evaporative water loss (EWL) in amphibians is given by the sum of the boundary layer (<em>r</em><sub>b</sub>) and the skin (<em>r</em><sub>s</sub>) resistances. Thus, an amphibian’s <em>r</em><sub>s</sub> can be determined if the <em>r</em><sub>b</sub> component is defined (<em>r</em><sub>s</sub> = R<sub>T</sub> - <em>r</em><sub>b</sub>). The use of agar models has become the standard technique to derive empirical estimates of <em>r</em><sub>b</sub> under the assumption that agar model surface imposes no barrier to evaporation (<em>r<sub>s</sub></em> = 0). Herein, we evaluated the validity of this assumption by determining EWL rates and <em>r</em><sub>b</sub> values from exposed surfaces of free water, agar gels prepared at various concentrations, and a physiological solution mimicking the osmotic properties of a generalized amphibian. Our results indicate that the agar material, at concentrations of 5%, provides a competent proxy to the estimation of amphibian´s boundary layer resistance, thus mimicking the evaporative properties of amphibians in the absence of a tegumental barrier.
