Data set to accompany manuscript "Seasonal plasticity in the thermal sensitivity of metabolism but not water loss in a fossorial ectotherm"

However, whether this pattern is applicable to fossorial ectotherms, who are potentially buffered from thermal variability, is still unclear. Here, we evaluated how seasonal acclimatisation (spring vs. autumn) affected the thermal sensitivity of standard metabolic rates (SMR), rates of evaporative water loss (EWL), and skin resistance to water loss (Rs) in the Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum).

We hypothesised that temperature would have both short- and long-term effects over traits (i.e., acute exposure to test temperatures and seasonal acclimatisation, respectively). After accounting for body mass and sex, we found that short-term changes in temperature led to an increase in SMR, EWL, and Rs. Additionally, SMR and Rs differed between seasons, but EWL did not.