外溫動物的運動表現容易受到環境溫度改變的影響，而且也受到天擇直接的篩選。因此在不同溫度環境下的族群的運動表現可能存在著變異。從過去的研究發現兩棲動物運動表現是否能被溫度馴化改變可能和環境溫度變動的程度有關。盤古蟾蜍廣泛分布在台灣全島山區，因為不同海拔的族群在生殖季節和溫度環境的差異，其蝌蚪在暴衝游泳的表現和被溫度馴化影響的情形可能有所差異。本研究檢測(1)是否盤古蝌蚪的暴衝游泳表現會受到馴化溫度的影響，並且探討此溫度馴化反應和環境溫度的關聯；(2)是否不同海拔的盤古蝌蚪的暴衝游泳表現存在著差異。我收集在高海拔(2300 m) 和低海拔(300 m) 的盤古蝌蚪。每個海拔的盤古蝌蚪帶回實驗室後分成兩群，分別馴養在15℃ 和22℃。馴養約一個月後，測試盤古蝌蚪在12、17、22、27、32℃ 下的游泳表現，每個溫度共取得三個表現參數：最大速率(Umax)、最大加速率(Amax) 和前兩百毫秒的移動距離(D200)。結果發現：高海拔盤古蝌蚪經過22℃ 馴化後，在27℃ 和32℃ 的Umax 顯著比15℃ 馴化的蝌蚪快，但是低海拔盤古蝌蚪各游泳參數均不受馴化溫度的影響。Umax 的Q10 值在22℃ 馴化的高海拔蝌蚪高於同海拔低溫馴化的蝌蚪。Amax 和D200 在各個測試溫度下皆不受馴化溫度的影響。在12-27℃ 高海拔盤古蝌蚪的Umax 普遍高於低海拔的盤古蝌蚪，而Amax 和D200 則在17 和22℃ 兩個海拔間有差異。高海拔冬夏季蝌蚪的Umax 在12-22℃ 有差異，但不同季節的蝌蚪的Amax 和D200 則沒有差異。這些結果支持了兩棲動物運動表現的溫度馴化反應和環境變動的程度有關的假設，也支持了在冷環境的動物在低溫下的表現比暖環境的動物好的假設。

　Locomotor performances of ectothermic vertebrates are highly sensitive to environmental temperature and are subjected to direct selection. Therefore, these traits may display large variations amongst populations. Thermal acclimation ability of locomotor performance may be related to the extent of temperature fluctuations in the habitats. The Taiwanese toad, Bufo bankorensis, distribute over a wide altitudinal range from lowland to elevation above 3000 m. Because of the large variations in altitudinal temperature and breeding seasons, altitudinal larvae of B. bankorensis may differ in burst swimming performance and the thermal acclimation ability. This study investigated (1) whether the burst swimming of larval B. bankorensis is affected by thermal acclimation and how is this ability related to its habitat temperature; (2) whether the altitudinal populations of larval B. bankorensis differ in burst swimming. Larval B. bankorensis were collected from lowland (300 m) and highland (2300 m) and acclimated at 15 or 22℃ for about one month. Burst swimming performance was measured to obtain maximum velocity (Umax), acceleration (Amax), and distance moved within the initial 200 ms (D200). The length-adjusted Umax of highland larvae acclimated at 22℃ were significantly higher than those acclimated at 15℃ testing at 27 and 32℃. However, the adjusted Umax of lowland larvae did not differ between acclimation temperatures. The adjusted Amax and D200 were not affected by thermal acclimation at most test temperatures. Q10 for Umax in the warm acclimated highland larvae were significantly higher than those in the cool acclimated larvae. However, this effect did not occur in the lowland larvae. The adjusted Umax averaged over all acclimation groups was different between altitudinal populations at 12-27℃. The adjusted Amax and D200 averaged over all acclimation groups differed significantly between altitudinal populations at 17 and 22℃. The highland larvae collected in different seasons were significantly different in the adjusted Umax (averaged over all acclimation groups) at 12-22℃. The adjusted Amax and D200 were not significantly affected by season at all test temperatures for the highland larvae. These results support the hypotheses that (1) the thermal acclimation ability of an animal is associated with the extent of temperature variations in its environment and (2) animals from cool climates would perform better at lower temperature than those from warm climates.

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