Background Hibernation and daily torpor are energy- water-saving adaptations employed to survive unfavourable periods mostly in temperate arctic environments, but also tropical arid climates. Heterothermy has been found a number of mammalian orders, within the primates so far it seems be restricted one family Malagasy lemurs. As currently there is no evidence heterothermy primate outside Madagascar, aim our study was investigate whether small from mainland Africa indeed always homeothermic...

Under laboratory conditions, rock elephant shrews, Elephantulus myurus, use daily torpor under both short and long photoperiod acclimation. However, of heterothermy often differs field conditions. We investigated the in free‐ranging shrews from May 2001 to 2002. The were capable throughout year, with most prevalent during winter. recorded two bouts early summer (November). a total 467 year. mean minimum body temperature (Tbmin) for whole year was 15.3° ± 4.4°C, bout length 8.6 3.5 h. These...

Studies investigating heterothermy under natural conditions are particularly scarce for tropical species. However, patterns in and subtropical environments often differ markedly from those observed arctic temperate The investigation of strepsirhine primates has focussed largely on the Malagasy cheirogaleids. In addition, a physiological verification torpor occurrence mainland strepsirhines is important with regard to arguments pertaining colonization Madagascar by primates. We measured body...

Many birds exhibit seasonal phenotypic flexibility in basal metabolic rate (BMR) and summit metabolism (Msum), but very little information is available for species from subtropical latitudes or conspecific populations sites that vary climate. We measured body mass (Mb), BMR, Msum summer winter two of the southern red bishop Euplectes orix, a passerine widespread Africa. One population occurs at comparatively warmer coastal site (mean daily minimum air temperature [Ta] midwinter, 8.3°C) other...

Torpor bouts of elephant shrews are intermediate in duration to those daily heterotherms and hibernating mammals, but their body temperatures (Tbs) metabolic rates very low similar mammals. We quantified the thermal physiology Cape rock shrew (Elephantulus edwardii), a species endemic high-altitude regions South Africa, where winters cold wet, tested whether it displays multiday torpor characteristic hibernators at ambient temperature (Ta). E. edwardii regularly displayed over wide range...

Maintaining a high and stable body temperature as observed in most endothermic mammals birds is energetically costly many heterothermic species reduce their metabolic demands during energetic bottlenecks through the use of torpor. With increasing number heterotherms revealed diversity habitats, it becomes apparent that triggers patterns torpor are more variable than previously thought. Here, we report overlooked of, shallow rest-time (body >30 °C) African lesser bushbabies, Galago moholi....

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mediated nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) is an important avenue of thermoregulatory heat production many mammalian species. Until recently, UCP1 was thought to occur exclusively eutherians. In the light recent finding that already present fish, it interest investigate when gained a thermogenic function vertebrate lineage. We elucidated basis NST rock elephant shrew, Elephantulus myurus (Afrotheria: Macroscelidea). sequenced Ucp1 and...

Abstract In highly seasonal environments animals that use daily torpor usually do so during the rest phase. subtropical and tropical environments, however, may not necessarily be confined to animals' Animals display active We investigated rhythms of body temperature ( T b ) in normothermic torpid free‐ranging rock elephant shrews Elephantulus myurus at Weenen Game Reserve, KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. s were recorded using miniature dataloggers from May 2001 2002. Daily patterns E. suggested...

SUMMARY The capacity for nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) plays an important role during arousal from torpid states. Recent data on heterotherms inhabiting warmer regions, however, suggest that passive rewarming reduces the need of metabolic heat production significantly, leading to question: what extent do subtropical or tropical depend NST? African lesser bushbaby, Galago moholi, enters states as emergency response only, but otherwise stays normothermic throughout cold and dry winter...

Several studies on ticks infesting small mammals, including elephant shrews, have been conducted in South Africa; however, these included only a single four-toed shrew and no hedgehogs. This study thus aimed to identify quantify the ixodid shrews Southern African Four-toed (Petrodromus tetradactylus) were trapped dense shrub undergrowth nature reserve north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal. They separately housed, first cages later glass terraria fitted with wire-mesh bases allow detached fall through...

Many small mammals bask in the sun during rewarming from heterothermy, but implications of this behaviour for their energy balance remain little understood. Specifically, it remains unclear whether solar radiation supplements endogenous metabolic thermogenesis (i.e., occurs through additive effects internally-produced and external heat), or reduces required to rewarm by substituting (i.e, replacing) heat production. To address question, we examined patterns torpor rates eastern rock elephant...