Rumble in the Jungle

Abstract

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches and Golden Barrel Cacti are both ectotherms, an organism that obtains heat from their surrounding environment, that lack the internal mechanisms to maintain body temperature.  In our investigation, we looked into the effects of a rise in temperature on the metabolic rate of both of these organisms.  We hypothesized that as the ambient temperature increases, the metabolic rate of a cockroach and a cactus will increase.  Additionally, the cockroach’s metabolic rate will increase more than that of the cactus because the cockroach has a smaller surface area to volume ratio.  (Forthcoming information on methods, results, and discussion)