Heat dissipation in subterranean rodents: the role of body region and social organisation.

ABSTRACT: The relatively warm and very humid environment of burrows presents a challenge for thermoregulation of its mammalian inhabitants. It was found that African mole-rats dissipate body heat mainly through their venter, and social mole-rats dissipate more body heat compared to solitary species at lower temperatures. In addition, the pattern of the ventral surface temperature was suggested to be homogeneous in social mole-rats compared to a heterogeneous pattern in solitary mole-rats. To investigate this for subterranean rodents generally, we measured the surface temperatures of seven species with different degrees of sociality, phylogeny, and climate using infrared thermography. In all species, heat dissipation occurred mainly through the venter and the feet. Whereas the feet dissipated body he

SUBMITTER: Vejmelka F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7820455 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature