SPECTRAL COMPOSITION OF LIGHT INFLUENCES THERMOREGULATORY BEHAVIOR INA LACERTID LIZARD (PODARCIS-MURALIS)

1. Thermoregulatory set points - i.e. the body temperatures at which h eat-seeking or cooling behaviour are initiated - of the lacertid lizar d Podarcis muralis were measured by infra-red thermography in animals exposed to light of different spectral compositions. 2. Exposing intac t lizards to light from which wavelength < 540 or < 600 nm had been fi ltered out resulted in persistent but reversible decreases in the valu es of both thermoregulatory set points. Mean hearing rates and bask du rations were also affected. 3. Light from which wavelengths < 480 nm h ad been removed had no effect on any of these variables. Copyright (C) 1996.