TY - JOUR
T1 - Patterns of body temperature variation and torpor in the numbat, Myrmecobius fasciatus (Marsupialia: Myrmecobiidae)
AU - Cooper, Christine
AU - Withers, Philip
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - (1) Body temperature (T-b) radio-telemetric data for the diurnal numbat indicated a strong nychthemeral rhythm, being higher during the day. (2) Mean daily T-b was 34.4degreesC, but was higher in spring and summer than winter. (3) All three numbats showed spontaneous, shallow daily torpor; minimum torpor T-b was 19.1degreesC, and maximum torpor duration was 15.3 h. (4) Cooling and arousal rates were slow for numbats compared to other marsupials (1.6 and 7.1degreesC h(-1) respectively). (5) Torpor was calculated to reduce the daily energy expenditure of a wild numbat in a burrow by 13-42% over 12.5 h. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - (1) Body temperature (T-b) radio-telemetric data for the diurnal numbat indicated a strong nychthemeral rhythm, being higher during the day. (2) Mean daily T-b was 34.4degreesC, but was higher in spring and summer than winter. (3) All three numbats showed spontaneous, shallow daily torpor; minimum torpor T-b was 19.1degreesC, and maximum torpor duration was 15.3 h. (4) Cooling and arousal rates were slow for numbats compared to other marsupials (1.6 and 7.1degreesC h(-1) respectively). (5) Torpor was calculated to reduce the daily energy expenditure of a wild numbat in a burrow by 13-42% over 12.5 h. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
U2 - 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2004.05.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2004.05.003
M3 - Article
SN - 0306-4565
VL - 29
SP - 277
EP - 284
JO - Journal of Thermal Biology
JF - Journal of Thermal Biology
IS - 6
ER -