Digital thermography in analysis of temperature changes in Pelophylax ridibundus frog

Background and Purpose: Physiological field of metabolism manipulation tries to elucidate how tissues recuperate after ischemic reperfusion changes, how signal molecules coordinate metabolic pathways and what physiological changes are to be expected in induced artificial hypometabolism or suspended animation in biomedicine. Evolutionary developed mechanisms of lowered metabolism (torpor, hibernation and aestivation) followed by arousals to normal metabolic/thermoregulatory states present perfect models for such studies. In the light of the vast current interest inmanipulating metabolism, natural behavior and adaptations of frogs, makes them among other organisms, an appropriate standard model animal for such studies. The exact measurements of thermal changes of frog’s body temperature correlated with ambient temperature (Ta) changes are essential. Materials and Methods: Male frogs Pelophylax ridibundus (Eurasian Marsh Frog) were kept for 30 days at Ta=8°C (artificial hibernation) and then exposed to Ta = 23°C (artificial arousal). The dynamics of body temperature change over 146 minutes was analyzed with IR camera NEC Thermo tracer TH7102WL and ThermoWEB measuring system. Results and Conclusions: Use of thermography allowed real time thermal measurement of changes in body temperature in frogs in a noninvasive manner. Previous attempts at thermography in hibernating frogs have not been reported, perhaps because of the lack of precision of earlier instruments. New generation cameras have the accuracy and software support to discriminate subtle differences in temperature of different body regions of analyzed frogs and the surrounding environment, as documented in this study