Rattlesnakes often eat large meals that require significant increases in metabolism for efficient digestion. Snakes are known to adjust their thermoregulatory behavior after feeding, seeking out warmer spots to increase their metabolic rates. Can snakes increase body temperature, though, even without this behavior? Tattersall et al. (2004) measured the change in body temperature of snakes after meals of various sizes, and we have used their data in an inappropriate way in the following graph, fitting a nonlinear mathematical function indicated by the curve.

a. Why is the nonlinear fit shown inappropriate?

b. What alternative procedure would you recommend to achieve the goal of predicting snake bodytemperature change from meal size?

Transcribed Image Text:

Change in snake temperature (°C) 1.5 1.0- 0.5- 0 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Meal size (% of snake's biomass)