Body Temperature in the Northern Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus

Bartholomew, George A.; Wilke, Ford

doi:10.2307/1376731

Cited by 78 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Thermoregulatory explanations for jughandling behavior propose that removal of the flippers from the water may decrease heat loss in cold water or facilitate heat dissipation in warm water (Bartholomew and Wilke 1956). The occurrence of jughandling behavior across the full range of experimental water temperatures in this study suggests that these hypotheses may not be mutually exclusive.…”

Section: The Effects Of Behavioral Strategies On Thermal Responses Inmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…1). The purpose of this behavior is largely unknown, but popular hypotheses suggest opposing thermoregulatory consequences: the animals may remove the flippers from the water to avoid excessive heat loss to cold water, or they may position the flippers in the air to increase convective heat loss when warm (Bartholomew and Wilke 1956). Because the physiological consequences of jughandling behavior have yet to be measured, it has been difficult to distinguish the thermoregulatory significance of this behavior for fur seals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Energetic Costs and Thermoregulation in Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus) Pups: The Importance of Behavioral Strategies for Thermal Balance in Furred Marine Mammals

Liwanag

2010

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Behavioral thermoregulation represents an important strategy for reducing energetic costs in thermally challenging environments, particularly among terrestrial vertebrates. Because of the cryptic lifestyle of aquatic species, the energetic benefits of such behaviors in marine endotherms have been much more difficult to demonstrate. In this study, I examined the importance of behavioral thermoregulation in the northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) pup, a small-bodied endotherm that spends prolonged periods at sea. The thermal neutral zones of three weaned male northern fur seal pups (body mass range = 11.8-12.8 kg) were determined by measuring resting metabolic rate using open-flow respirometry at water temperatures ranging from 2.5° to 25.0°C. Metabolic rate averaged 10.03 ± 2.26 mL O₂kg⁻¹ min⁻¹ for pups resting within their thermal neutral zone; lower critical temperature was 8.3° ± 2.5°C , approximately 8°C higher than the coldest sea surface temperatures encountered in northern Pacific waters. To determine whether behavioral strategies could mitigate this potential thermal limitation, I measured metabolic rate during grooming activities and the unique jughandling behavior of fur seals. Both sedentary grooming and active grooming resulted in significant increases in metabolic rate relative to rest (P = 0.001), and percent time spent grooming increased significantly at colder water temperatures (P < 0.001). Jughandling metabolic rate (12.71 ± 2.73 mL O₂kg⁻¹ min ⁻¹) was significantly greater than resting rates at water temperatures within the thermal neutral zone (P < 0.05) but less than resting metabolism at colder water temperatures. These data indicate that behavioral strategies may help to mitigate thermal challenges faced by northern fur seal pups while resting at sea.

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Section: The Effects Of Behavioral Strategies On Thermal Responses Inmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energetic Costs and Thermoregulation in Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus) Pups: The Importance of Behavioral Strategies for Thermal Balance in Furred Marine Mammals

Liwanag

2010

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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“…To date, we are unaware of published research that has validated the use of stomach temperature records to identify and quantify prey consumed by an otariid seal (fur seals and sea lions). With differences in body size, metabolic rate and core body temperature (Bartholomew, 1954;Bartholomew and Wilke, 1956;Nagy, 1987), it is possible that the changes in stomach temperature, resulting from feeding, differ between these families.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying and quantifying prey consumption using stomach temperature change in pinnipeds

Kuhn

Costa

2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY For many marine predators knowledge of foraging behavior is limited to inferences based on changes in diving or movement patterns at sea. This results in an incomplete and potentially inaccurate view of the foraging ecology of a species. This study examined the use of stomach temperature telemetry to identify and quantify prey consumed in both a phocid (northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris) and an otariid (California sea lion Zalophus californianus) species. In addition, we used opportunistic water consumption by northern elephant seals to test a method to distinguish between prey and water ingestion. Over 96% of feedings could be identified based on a decline in stomach temperature, even when meals were separated by as little as 70 min. Water consumption was distinguishable from prey consumption, as the rate of recovery in stomach temperature was significantly faster for water (F1,142=79.2, P<0.01). However, using this method, the overlap in recovery rates between prey and water resulted in 30.6% of water ingestion events being misclassified as prey ingestion. For both species, the integral calculated from the decline in stomach temperature over time (area above the curve) could be used to estimate mass consumed, when adjusted for the temperature difference between the prey and core body temperature. For California sea lions, there was a significant effect of individual on the ability to quantify prey consumed, which was not related to their mass or sex. Although many factors may influence the ability to use stomach temperature change to identify and quantify prey consumed, this study has shown measures of stomach temperature can accurately identify prey consumption and provide an estimate of meal mass, allowing for a greater understanding of the feeding behavior of marine mammals.

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“…This is especially true during the breeding season because seals accumulate large blubber reserves prior to breeding to sustain them during fasting and lactation. Otariids breeding in tropical, sub-tropical or warm summer temperate climates clearly exhibit behavioural mechanisms associated with the prevention of overheating (Bartholomew and Wilkie 1956, Gentry 1973, McCann 1980, Campagna and Le Boeuf 1988, Riedman 1990, Francis and Boness 1991, Renouf 1991. Conversely, phocids 5 breeding in polar or sub-polar conditions benefit while on land or ice from the adaptations that allow them to minimize heat loss (ritsland, Lavigne and Ronald 1978, Pierotti and Pierotti 1979, Lavigne 1980, 1983, Renouf 1991 in situations where they are potentially at risk of stress from cold temperatures.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral Evidence of Thermal Stress From Overheating in Uk Breeding Gray Seals

Twiss¹,

Wright²,

Dunstone³

et al. 2002

Marine Mammal Science

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Gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the UK exhibit clear preferences for pupping close to pools of water on inland breeding sites. The reasons for this are unclear as seals are thought to derive all their water requirements from the metabolism of fat. Likewise, the prospect of seals overheating during the UK's cool, damp, autumnal breeding seasons, has seemed unlikely, but has not been previously explored. Here, we provide preliminary behavioral evidence of thermal stress in female gray seals breeding on the island of North Rona, Scotland. Video footage provided measures of proximity to, and the proportion of animals bathing in, pools in relation to meteorological data (temperature, mean sea‐level pressure, rainfall, wind speed and direction) on four dates spread through a single breeding season. The proportion of females close to pools increased with pressure (warmer, drier conditions) and decreased on wetter days. In addition, analyses of colony‐wide patterns of seal dispersion showed that females tended to be closer to pools of water at higher pressures and temperatures and at lower wind‐speeds. These results provide the first evidence of thermal stress and behavioral thermoregulation through access to pools of water in a phocid breeding in temperate autumnal conditions.

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Body Temperature in the Northern Fur Seal, Callorhinus ursinus

Cited by 78 publications

References 7 publications

Energetic Costs and Thermoregulation in Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus) Pups: The Importance of Behavioral Strategies for Thermal Balance in Furred Marine Mammals

Energetic Costs and Thermoregulation in Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus) Pups: The Importance of Behavioral Strategies for Thermal Balance in Furred Marine Mammals

Identifying and quantifying prey consumption using stomach temperature change in pinnipeds

Behavioral Evidence of Thermal Stress From Overheating in Uk Breeding Gray Seals

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