Heterothermy as a mechanism to offset energetic costs of environmental and homeostatic perturbations.

ABSTRACT: Environmental and biotic pressures impose homeostatic costs on all organisms. The energetic costs of maintaining high body temperatures (T_b) render endotherms sensitive to pressures that increase foraging costs. In response, some mammals become more heterothermic to conserve energy. We measured T_b in banner-tailed kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis) to test and disentangle the effects of air temperature and moonlight (a proxy for predation risk) on thermoregulatory homeostasis. We further perturbed homeostasis in some animals with chronic corticosterone (CORT) via silastic implants. Heterothermy increased across summer, consistent with the predicted effect of lunar illumination (and predation), and in the direction opposite to the predicted effect of environmental t

SUBMITTER: Morales JO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8463709 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature