The effect of huddling on thermoregulation and oxygen consumption for the naked mole-rat

1. 1. Individual and huddled naked mole-rats became progressively hypothermic at lowered ambient temperatures; tb = 20.6 + 0.41 Ta. 2. 2. Oxygen consumption of individual mole-rats increased more than that of huddled mole-rats at Ta < 34°C. 3. 3. Huddling behaviour considerably reduced the mass-specific thermal conductance from 0.25 ml O2 g-1 °C-1 (individual) to 0.12 (group of four) at Ta = 20°C. 4. 4. Thus, huddled mole-rats are unlike other endotherms since they maintain the same Tb as individuals but at a reduced metabolic cost. 5. 5. Huddled mole-rats had lower rates of evaporative water loss than individuals, at high Ta because of their lower exposed surface area and VO2 (per individual). © 1980.