Energetic Consequences and Ecological Significance of Heterothermy                     and Social Thermoregulation in Striped Skunks (<i>Mephitis                         mephitis</i>)

Hwang, Yeen Ten; Larivière, Serge; Messier, François

doi:10.1086/509211

Cited by 42 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In small mammals of a similar size to the raccoon dog, such as the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota; Arnold 1988) and the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis; Hwang et al 2007), communal denning during winter is associated with considerable energy savings for each individual animal. In Honshu, Japan, raccoon dogs (N. p. viverrinus) often live in groups (Ikeda et al 1979;Ward and Wurster-Hill 1989) and we found that N. p. albus also denned communally during winter.…”

Section: Body Composition and Blood Biochemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Overwintering strategy of wild free-ranging and enclosure-housed Japanese raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus)

et al. 2008

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The raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides, is a canid with a passive overwintering strategy in northern Europe. However, the behavior and physiology of the Japanese subspecies, N. p. albus, which has fewer chromosomes than the other subspecies, remain unknown. We measured body temperature, body composition and blood biochemistry of wild free-ranging and fasted enclosure-housed N. p. albus during boreal winter in Hokkaido, Japan.Body temperature of N. p. albus decreased from 38 ºC in autumn to 35.9-36.7 ºC while maintaining a circadian rhythm in late February (n = 3). A transient 21-36 % decrease in resting heart rate occurred when body temperature was low (n = 2). Despite a 33-45 % decrease in body weight due to winter fasting, circulating glucose, total protein and triglyceride levels were maintained (n = 4). Serum urea nitrogen dropped by 43-45 % from autumn to spring, suggesting protein conservation during fasting. The overwintering survival strategy of N. p. albus in central Hokkaido is based upon large changes in seasonal activity patterns, winter denning and communal housing without a large decrease in body temperature that is characteristic of subarctic animals exhibiting hibernation or torpor.2

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Section: Body Composition and Blood Biochemistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Overwintering strategy of wild free-ranging and enclosure-housed Japanese raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus)

et al. 2008

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“…Conversely, in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), huddling decreased torpor frequency and depth but grouped skunks lost much less body fat than single ones (Hwang et al, 2007). Thus, the benefit of huddling would be larger body fat reserves at emergence in spring and a better body condition at the beginning of the reproductive season (Hwang et al, 2007). It was reported previously that sufficient body fat content in spring ensures successful breeding in female Alpine marmots (Hackländer and Arnold, 1999) and Columbian ground squirrels, Spermophilus columbianus (King et al, 1991).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In our study, the frequency of torpor bouts in single and grouped hamsters did not differ. Conversely, in striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), huddling decreased torpor frequency and depth but grouped skunks lost much less body fat than single ones (Hwang et al, 2007). Thus, the benefit of huddling would be larger body fat reserves at emergence in spring and a better body condition at the beginning of the reproductive season (Hwang et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Animals spend winter solitarily or in groups with other conspecifics (Twente, 1955;Walhovd and Jensen, 1976;Webster and Brooks, 1981;Nowak and Paradiso, 1983;Arnold, 1988;Blumstein and Walter, 1998;Vogt and Kakooza, 1993;Ferron, 1996). Both strategies have pros and cons (Armitage et al, 1976;Arnold, 1993;Arnold et al, 1991;Berteaux et al, 1996;Blumstein et al, 2004;Hwang et al, 2007) (for a review, see Gilbert et al, 2010). In huddling animals, heat loss can be reduced as a result of body contact with other group members and hence a smaller surface area-to-volume ratio, as well as increased local temperature in the nest (Hayes et al, 1992;Séguy and Perret, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other benefits of nest sharing include decreased individual predation risk and development or maintenance of social relationships between individuals (Berteaux et al, 1996). However, communal nesting can also increase the risk of disease or parasite transmission and can potentially lead to depletion of resources in the vicinity of the nest (Hwang et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social thermoregulation and torpor in the Siberian hamster

Jefimow

Głabska

Wojciechowski

2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYSocial thermoregulation and huddling bring about energy benefits to animals sharing a nest because of the smaller surface-tovolume ratio of a huddle and the higher local temperature in the nest. We tested whether living in groups and huddling affect daily torpor, metabolic rate and seasonal changes in the body mass of a small heterothermic rodent, the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus), housed under semi-natural conditions both singly and in groups of four litter-mates. We predicted that in hamsters housed in groups: (1) synchronized torpor bouts would be longer and deeper than non-synchronized ones but shallower than in solitary hamsters, (2) seasonal variations in metabolic rate would be lower than in solitary hamsters, and (3) the winter decrease in body mass would be smaller in grouped than in singly housed hamsters. We found that group housing led to a smaller decrease in body mass in winter, and affected the length and depth of daily torpor. In group-living hamsters more than 50% of all torpor episodes were synchronized and torpid animals were often found in huddles formed of all cage-mates. The longest and deepest torpor bouts in groups were recorded when all animals in a group entered torpor simultaneously. Although the minimum body temperature during torpor was higher, torpor duration was slightly longer than in solitary hamsters. We did not record significant differences in the body mass-adjusted rate of oxygen consumption between solitary and grouped animals, either in the cold or at the lower critical temperature. We conclude that social thermoregulation enables maintenance of a larger body mass, and thus a larger body fat content, which can ensure better body condition at the beginning of the reproductive season.

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Hibernation: Endotherms

Geiser

2011

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

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The main function of hibernation and daily torpor in heterothermic mammals and birds (i.e. species capable of expressing torpor) is to conserve energy and water and thus to survive during adverse environmental conditions or periods of food shortage no matter if they live in the arctic or the tropics. However, the reduced energy requirements also permit survival of bad weather during reproduction to prolong gestation into more favourable periods, conservation of nutrients for growth during development, and overall result in reduced foraging needs and thus exposure to predators, which appear major contributing reasons why heterotherms are often long lived and have lower extinction rates than strictly homeothermic species that cannot use torpor. Known heterothermic mammals and birds are diverse with about 2/3 of mammalian orders and 1/3 of avian orders containing heterothermic species, and their number continues to grow. Key Concepts: Hibernation and daily torpor are the most effective means of energy conservation available to mammals and birds and are crucial for survival of adverse conditions of many species. Use of torpor often is enhanced by low ambient temperatures and limited food. Because torpor reduces energy requirements, its opportunistic use allows extension of gestation, nutrient sparing during development, and permits survival in modified and degraded habitats and also reduces the need for foraging and thus exposure to predators. As the rate of extinction in heterothermic mammals is much lower than in homeotherms, thermal energetics are of concern to conservation biologists because mammals and birds that can use and cannot use torpor differ enormously in their energy requirements and thus foraging needs.

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Energetic Consequences and Ecological Significance of Heterothermy and Social Thermoregulation in Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis)

Cited by 42 publications

References 46 publications

Overwintering strategy of wild free-ranging and enclosure-housed Japanese raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus)

Overwintering strategy of wild free-ranging and enclosure-housed Japanese raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides albus)

Social thermoregulation and torpor in the Siberian hamster

Hibernation: Endotherms

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