Seasonal variations in basal metabolic rate, lower critical temperature and responses to temporary starvation in the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) from Svalbard

Fuglesteg, Britt N.; Haga, Ø. E.; Folkow, Lars P.; Fuglei, Eva; Blix, Arnoldus Schytte

doi:10.1007/s00300-005-0054-9

Cited by 32 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…For example, muskoxen show a 30% reduction (Nilssen et al, 1994), and a reduced winter metabolic rate has also been reported in Arctic hare (Wang et al, 1973), Arctic fox (Fuglesteg et al, 2006) and rock ptarmigan ); this will be of great significance to the animal when food is in short supply. When food supply is limited, energy expenditure can also be limited by reducing total daily physical activity.…”

Section: Metabolic and Behavioural Responsesmentioning

confidence: 92%

Adaptations to polar life in mammals and birds

Blix

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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141

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This Review presents a broad overview of adaptations of truly Arctic and Antarctic mammals and birds to the challenges of polar life. The polar environment may be characterized by grisly cold, scarcity of food and darkness in winter, and lush conditions and continuous light in summer. Resident animals cope with these changes by behavioural, physical and physiological means. These include responses aimed at reducing exposure, such as 'balling up', huddling and shelter building; seasonal changes in insulation by fur, plumage and blubber; and circulatory adjustments aimed at preservation of core temperature, to which end the periphery and extremities are cooled to increase insulation. Newborn altricial animals have profound tolerance to hypothermia, but depend on parental care for warmth, whereas precocial mammals are well insulated and respond to cold with non-shivering thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, and precocial birds shiver to produce heat. Most polar animals prepare themselves for shortness of food during winter by the deposition of large amounts of fat in times of plenty during autumn. These deposits are governed by a sliding set-point for body fatness throughout winter so that they last until the sun reappears in spring. Polar animals are, like most others, primarily active during the light part of the day, but when the sun never sets in summer and darkness prevails during winter, high-latitude animals become intermittently active around the clock, allowing opportunistic feeding at all times. The importance of understanding the needs of the individuals of a species to understand the responses of populations in times of climate change is emphasized.

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Section: Metabolic and Behavioural Responsesmentioning

confidence: 92%

Adaptations to polar life in mammals and birds

Blix

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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141

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“…What is interesting is that such decrease also occurred in seminatural conditions in individuals fed ad lib. (Corp et al 1997;Fuglei et al 1999;Arnold et al 2004;Fuglesteg et al 2006). Some mammals behave similarly to almost all birds species (for review see McKechnie 2008; Swanson 2010) and increase metabolic rate to support the metabolic demands caused by increased exposure to cold on a population level (Wunder et al 1977;Meritt and Zegers 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…However, it is important to note that the interpretation of patterns of seasonal variation is based on an assumption of a consistency in individual responses to changing seasonal conditions. While this assumption is met in studies carried out under laboratory or seminatural conditions (e.g., Mauget et al 1996;Fuglei and Øritsland 1999;Arnold et al 2004Arnold et al , 2006Bozinovic et al 2004;Fuglesteg et al 2006;Kumagai et al 2006;Sparling et al 2006;Kitao et al 2009), there are practically no studies (except one; Iverson and Turner 1974) focused on that problem in the wild. There are also relatively few studies that investigate seasonal changes in RMR or BMR in wild populations (Boratyń ski and Koteja 2009;Larivée et al 2010;Careau et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…For example, in some species an increase of BM at the beginning of winter reflects an increased fat deposition (Fuglei and Øritsland 1999;Fuglesteg et al 2006), whereas a decrease in RMR following winter is interpreted as a shift in energy allocation toward reproduction (Sparling et al 2006;Rønning et al 2008). However, it is important to note that the interpretation of patterns of seasonal variation is based on an assumption of a consistency in individual responses to changing seasonal conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The interest in studying these responses has recently been rejuvenated by the need for better understanding of the phenotypic flexibility of physiological traits in the context of adaptation to climate change (Tieleman and Williams 2002;McKechnie 2008;Raichlen et al 2010). Several studies have demonstrated a reduction of body mass (BM) in overwintering mammals (Iverson and Turner 1974;Aars and Ims 2002), as well as in BM-corrected metabolic rates (Harrington et al 2003;Arnold et al 2004Arnold et al , 2006Fuglesteg et al 2006;Kumagai et al 2006); mainly basal (resting) metabolic rate (BMR or RMR, the lowest measured metabolic rate of a resting animal in its thermoneutral zone). On the other hand, numerous authors have reported winter increases in BM and RMR (Sparling et al 2006;Zhang and Wang 2007;Sheriff et al 2009) or a lack of appreciable seasonal variation (Mauget et al 1996;Harrington et al 2003;Wang et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Seasonal Variation of Resting Metabolic Rate and Body Mass in Free-Living WeaselsMustela nivalis

Szafrańska

Zub

Konarzewski³

2013

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Metabolic rates and body mass of mammals vary seasonally along with ambient temperatures and food availability. At the population level, seasonal changes in metabolic rate and mass can be due to selective mortality or emigration of individuals whose metabolic rate or mass differs from the average for the population. Alternatively, the metabolic rates of individuals can change seasonally, such that the population average increases or decreases due to shifts in the physiology of the overall population. The latter implies that individuals respond in a similar manner to changing seasonal conditions. We studied seasonal changes in body mass (BM) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in free-ranging male weasels (Mustela nivalis) to test the consistency of these traits in individuals caught in different seasons of the year. At the population level, BM was remarkably stable across the seasons (F(3, 124)=0.25, P=0.9). In contrast, BM- corrected RMR varied significantly between seasons and was the lowest in winter (F(3, 135)=9.13, P<0.0001). We demonstrated that individual weasels were consistent in how their BM and RMR deviated from the seasonal means for the population (intraclass correlation, τ=0.78 and 0.33, respectively). This variation among individuals explained ~76% and 27% of the total variation of BM and basal metabolic rate, respectively. Hence, the relatively constant BM at the population level across seasons is due to a relative constancy of BM in individuals. Our study is one of relatively few research projects that demonstrate that seasonal changes in RMR observed in the wild population are in part due to a consistency in individual responses to changing environmental conditions.

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Energetics of thermoregulation by an industrious endotherm

Meehan

2012

American J Hum Biol

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Seasonal variations in basal metabolic rate, lower critical temperature and responses to temporary starvation in the arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) from Svalbard

Cited by 32 publications

References 25 publications

Adaptations to polar life in mammals and birds

Adaptations to polar life in mammals and birds

Seasonal Variation of Resting Metabolic Rate and Body Mass in Free-Living WeaselsMustela nivalis

Energetics of thermoregulation by an industrious endotherm

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