New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
Normothermy, torpor, and arousal in hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus)
from Dunedin
PETER I. WEBB
JODELLE ELLISON
Department of Zoology
University of Otago
P.O. Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand
Abstract We measured oxygen consumption of hedgehogs from
Dunedin during normothermy, torpor, and arousal from torpor during the winter.
Basal oxygen consumption and minimum thermal conductance were not significantly
different from expected values for an average mammal of the same body mass.
Torpid oxygen consumption at 5deg.C was only 0.5% of resting normothermic
oxygen consumption at the same temperature. Oxygen consumption during arousal
was not significantly different to that predicted theoretically or to that
recorded during resting normothermy over the same time period. Using previous
measures of pre-hibernal body fat content, we build a simple model showing the
relative energetic implications for a hedgehog of entering or not entering
hibernation, and suggest that, at low temperatures, body fat stores would be
depleted in <1 day and >100 days in non-hibernating and hibernating
hedgehogs, respectively.
Keywords hedgehog; torpor; normothermy; arousal; hibernation;
oxygen consumption; energy expenditure
Received 30 June 1997; accepted 3 November 1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (506K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
