Data from: Thermoregulatory behavior is widespread in the embryos of reptiles and birds

Recent studies have demonstrated that thermoregulatory behavior occurs not only in post-hatching turtles, but also prior to hatching. Does thermoregulatory behavior also occur in the embryos of other reptile and bird species? Our experiments show that such behavior is widespread but not universal in reptile and bird embryos. We recorded repositioning within the egg, in response to thermal gradients, in the embryos of three species of snakes (Xenochrophis piscator, Elaphe bimaculata, and Zaocys dhumnades), two turtles (Chelydra serpentina and Ocadia sinensis), one crocodile (Alligator sinensis), and four birds (Coturnix coturnix, Gallus gallus domesticus, Columba livia domestica and Anas platyrhynchos domestica). However, we detected no significant thermoregulation by the embryos of two lizard species (Takydromus septentrionalis and Phrynocephalus frontalis). Overall, embryonic thermoregulatory behavior is widespread in reptile as well as bird species, but may be unimportant in the small eggs laid by most lizards.

现有研究已证实，体温调节行为（thermoregulatory behavior）不仅存在于孵化后的龟类个体中，也会在孵化前阶段出现。那么其他爬行类与鸟类的胚胎是否也存在此类体温调节行为呢？本研究通过实验证实，此类行为在爬行类与鸟类胚胎中广泛分布，但并非普遍存在。我们记录了3种蛇（渔游蛇Xenochrophis piscator、双斑锦蛇Elaphe bimaculata、乌梢蛇Zaocys dhumnades）、2种龟（鳄龟Chelydra serpentina、中华条颈龟Ocadia sinensis）、1种鳄（扬子鳄Alligator sinensis）以及4种鸟类（鹌鹑Coturnix coturnix、家鸡Gallus gallus domesticus、家鸽Columba livia domestica、家鸭Anas platyrhynchos domestica）的胚胎在响应温度梯度刺激时于卵内发生体位调整的现象。然而，我们并未在2种蜥蜴（北草蜥Takydromus septentrionalis、荒漠沙蜥Phrynocephalus frontalis）的胚胎中检测到显著的体温调节行为。总体而言，胚胎的体温调节行为在爬行类与鸟类中均广泛存在，但对于大多数蜥蜴所产出的小型卵而言，此类行为可能并不具备重要意义。