Snake oil in action: Geographic and seasonal variability in epidermal lipids shape evaporative water loss in snakes

Many reptiles inhabit deserts, where there is a benefit to minimizing evaporative water loss (EWL) due to the risks to water balance imposed by the extreme heat and dryness. We compared the EWL of desert versus Mediterranean snakes and the content and composition of their epidermal lipids, which form the primary barrier against evaporation. We obtained shed skins from two farm-grown species (a desert specialist viper, Echis coloratus, and its Mediterranean relative, Daboia palaestinae) and from 17 captive snake species of both Mediterranean and desert origins, kept under identical conditions. Total EWL was measured in live snakes using flow-through respirometry. Cutaneous EWL was approximated in vitro through the shed skin, and epidermal lipids were quantified following extraction in n-hexane and identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS).
, , # Data from: Snake oil in action: Geographic and seasonal variability in epidermal lipids shape evaporative water loss in snakes

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.0vt4b8hbv](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0vt4b8hbv)

## Description of the data and file structure

### Files and variables

Data for Dubiner et al. \"Snake oil in action: geographic and seasonal variability in epidermal lipids shape evaporative water loss in snakes\".

Table_S1_snakes.xlsx: Results of lipid extraction. Variables are: source (zoo vs farm), biome and season of origin, and lipid content (% of dry mass) in snake skins.

* Source (zoo vs farm), biome and season of origin, and lipid content (% of dry mass) in snake skins.

Table_S2_snakes.xlsx: Results of respirometry and *in vitro* evaporation. Extraction. Variables are: biome and season of origin, evaporative water loss (EWL, in mg/minute for respirometry and mg/day/cm^2^ or *in vitro* evaporation), and skin resistance to EWL (in seconds per meter) in snake skins.

* Bi...,