The Extent of Short-term and Long-term Compensation to Temperature Shown by Frog and Toad Sartorius Muscle

The effect of pH at different temperatures was studied on the forcevelocity characteristics of the sartorius muscle to estimate short-term compensation to temperature. The effect of thermal acclimation was also studied in order to estimate long-term compensation. A decrease in either pH or temperature reduced both tetanic tension and shortening velocity. There was a significant pH-temperature interaction for tetanic tension and for maximum mechanical power, but not for Vma • It is shown that this pHtemperature interaction was large enough to provide a mechanism for shortterm compensation only for the maximum strength (tetanic tension) in both species. Shortening velocities at small loads of the sartorius muscle of frogs and toads acclimated to 25 C were faster than those acclimated to 5 C. The difference between the two acclimation groups increased with test temperature and was almost 1 muscle length per second (m.l. s") at 25 C for both species. Acclimation temperature had no significant effect on tetanic tension or on maximum mechanical power at any of the test temperatures. It is proposed that the small capacity for long-term compensation in frog and toad sartorius muscles is related to the strategy employed during winter: frogs and toads hibernate.