A portable optical-fiber spectrum analyzer operating in the visible and near-infrared range was used to measure in vivo the skin reflectance of lizards of the genus Podarcis. The investigations, which we performed in connection with a study of the biological problem of the microinsular melanism, are quite safe for the examined animals and can be easily extended to spectroscopic and/or energy input studies in other animals.
MasonC. W., J. Phys. Chem.27, 201 (1923); Idem 27, 401 (1923); 30, 383 (1926); 31, 321 (1927); 31, 1856 (1927).
2.
NassauK., The Physics and Chemistry of Color (Wiley, New York, 1983), Chap. 13.
3.
VeversG., Studies in Biology, N. 146, The Colours of Animals (Edward Arnold Publishers, London, 1982).
4.
MertensR., Die Umschau in Wissenschaft und Technik6, 180 (1963).
5.
CarlquistS., Island Life: A Natural History of the Islands of the World (The Natural History Press, New York, 1965), pp. 185–187.
6.
LanzaB., Geos (now Geodes)1, 34 (1979).
7.
LanzaB.TosiniG. and BacciM, Med. Biol. Environ.14, 131 (1986).
8.
TosiniG.LanzaB. and BacciM, in Proceedings of the Symposium on the Evolution of Terrestrial Vertebrates, Naples (1988).
9.
EganW. G. and HilgemanT, Appl. Opt.14, 1137 (1975).
10.
FraserD. J. J. and GriffithsP. R, Appl. Spectrosc.44, 193 (1990).
11.
KneizysF. X.ShettleE. P.AbreuL. W.ChetwindJ. H.AndersonG. P.GalleryW. O.SelbyJ. E. A. and CloughS. A, User's Guide to LOWTRAN 7, AFGL-TR-88-0177, Environmental Research Paper No. 1010 (Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, Hanscom, Massachusetts, 1988).
12.
MeinelA. B. and MeinelM. P, Applied Solar Energy (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1976).
13.
HutchisonV. H. and LarimerJ, Ecology41, 199 (1960).
14.
GibsonA. R. and FallsJ. B, Oecologia43, 79 (1979).
15.
PorterW. P. and NorrisK. S, Science163, 482 (1969).