The Company of Biologists

Table 1.

Summary of the families of arboreal frogs exhibiting low rates of cutaneous evaporative water loss (CWL) related to cutaneous lipids and wiping behaviors, with comparisons of aquatic frogs having high rates of CWL

Habitat	Family	Species	Skin resistance to CWL (s cm⁻¹)	Surface-area-specific CWL (mg cm⁻² h⁻¹)	Cutaneous lipids	Wiping behaviors
Arboreal	Hylidae	Phyllomedusa sauvagei	206^f	0.5^f	E, L^a	+^a
		P. hypochondrialis	364^f	0.3^a	E, L^a	+^a
		P. iherengi	277^f	0.3^f	E, L^a	+^a
		P. pailona	336^f	0.3^f	E, L^a	+^a
		Litoria gracilenta	118^e	0.7^e	S^e	?
		L. caerulea	1.8^e	17^e	E, L^b	+^b
		Hyla arenicolor	1.6^e	28^e	?	?
	Rhacophoridae	Polypedates maculatus	1.9^d	7.7^d	E, M^d	+^d
		Chiromantis petersi	347^e	0.2^e	−^c	−^c
		C. rufescens	404^e	0.2^e	S^e	?
Semi-aquatic	Ranidae	Rana pipiens	1.6^e	28^e	G^g,h	?
		R. utricularia	?	26.9^f	?	?
Aquatic	Pipidae	Xenopus laevis	?	27.5^f	G^h	?
		Free water surface	1.6^e	44^e

Habitat	Family	Species	Skin resistance to CWL (s cm⁻¹)	Surface-area-specific CWL (mg cm⁻² h⁻¹)	Cutaneous lipids	Wiping behaviors
Arboreal	Hylidae	Phyllomedusa sauvagei	206^f	0.5^f	E, L^a	+^a
		P. hypochondrialis	364^f	0.3^a	E, L^a	+^a
		P. iherengi	277^f	0.3^f	E, L^a	+^a
		P. pailona	336^f	0.3^f	E, L^a	+^a
		Litoria gracilenta	118^e	0.7^e	S^e	?
		L. caerulea	1.8^e	17^e	E, L^b	+^b
		Hyla arenicolor	1.6^e	28^e	?	?
	Rhacophoridae	Polypedates maculatus	1.9^d	7.7^d	E, M^d	+^d
		Chiromantis petersi	347^e	0.2^e	−^c	−^c
		C. rufescens	404^e	0.2^e	S^e	?
Semi-aquatic	Ranidae	Rana pipiens	1.6^e	28^e	G^g,h	?
		R. utricularia	?	26.9^f	?	?
Aquatic	Pipidae	Xenopus laevis	?	27.5^f	G^h	?
		Free water surface	1.6^e	44^e

Letters indicate the presence of lipids within the following: (E)extra-epidermal layer, (L) lipid glands, (M) mucous glands, (G) granular glands and (S) skin, where exact location of lipids is unknown.

+ presence, −, absence of lipids or behaviours; ? indicates values that have not been investigated.

^aBlaylock et al.,1976; ^bChristian et al., 1988; ^cDrewes et al., 1977; ^dLillywhite et al.,1997; ^eWithers et al., 1984; ^fWygoda et al., 1984; ^gDapson et al.,1973; ^hThomas et al., 1993.

Note: in some references (a,d-f), measurements of CWL were made using different methods.

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