The Major Lipid Reserves in The Skink,Eumeces chinensis

The major lipid reserves were studied for the skink Eumeces chinensiscollected from a field in Hangzhou.The skinks were divided into five groups,I.e.March,April,May,fast,and fed-up groups.Data collected over a three-year period indicated that there were significant differences in fatbody indices,liver indices,and lipid contents of carcass,tail,and liver among skinks of different groups.Lipid reserves were reduced from the time of emergence from winter dormancy to the breeding season.The most important lipid reserves of the skink were tail and abdominal fatbody,because the most active lipid storage and utilization occurred at the two sites.In addition,the two sites alone comprised most of the standing lipids in an individual.The fast skinks had apparently higher ash contents but much lower ash uncorrected caloric values of lean carcass and lean tail than the fed-up individuals.No obvious differences in ash-free caloric values of lean carcass and lean tail were found between fast and fed-up skinks.There were relatively slight differences in ash content and caloric value of liver between fast and fed-up skinks.One of the major reasons which put the fast skinks to death was the exhaustion of stored materials.When skinks were allowed to feed freely on larvae of Tenebrio molitor,all major lipid reserves could rapidly store lipids.