Volume 6, Spring 2008 - Saddleback College

Fall 2007 Biology 3A Abstracts
CO2 exhalation (m L/hr/g)
0.160
0.140
0.120
0.100
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time from feeding (days)
Figure 1. Mean carbon dioxide production of
specimens prior to digestion and during digestion
(N=4) of Ball python Python regius. Ingestion of
prey took place at day 3.
Discussion
The carbon dioxide production and the
specific dynamic action (SDA) of pre and post
ingestion were observed within this experiment.
Using an Explorer GLX Carbon Dioxide Analyzer,
carbon dioxide production over thirty-minute
intervals, once per day for two weeks were
obtained. Values were adjusted to specific
temperature and pressure. Total carbon dioxide
production was calculated into milliliter of carbon
dioxide production per gram of body weight per
one hour. Mean carbon dioxide production value
for all specimens (N=4) was 0•065990•0003
(mean and s.e.). Evaluation of said figures by
specific T-tests indicated that there was a
significant difference between carbon dioxide
production prior to ingestion of prey and post
ingestion of prey (P