Physiological and behavioral control of heating and cooling rates in rubber boas, Charina bottae

1. We examined the ability of rubber boas (Charina bottae) to physiologically and behaviorally control their heating and cooling rates between 5 and 35 °C with constrained and unconstrained postural treatments.2. In both the unconstrained and constrained treatments, heating rates were faster than cooling rates (ANOVA; F=52.25; df=22; p<0.001), suggesting that rubber boas can physiologically slow their cooling rates and/or accelerate their heating rates.3. Our findings provide a greater understanding of physiological thermoregulation in rubber boas and insight into mechanisms of reptilian thermoregulation.