Seasonal variations in metabolism and thermoregulation in the striped hamster (Cricetulus barabensis)

✍ Scribed by Zhi-Jun Zhao; Jing Cao; Xi-Long Meng; Yu-Bao Li

• Book ID: 104035130
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 380 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0306-4565
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2009.10.008

✦ Synopsis

a b s t r a c t

(1) Metabolic rate (MR), thermal neutral zone (TNZ), body temperature (T b ), and thermal conductance were measured in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) that were live-trapped in winter and summer.

(2) TNZ of winter hamsters was 20.8-30.6 1C and that of summer hamsters was 27.5-32.9 1C. Mean MR within the TNZ was 3.89 7 0.13 ml O 2 /g h in winter and 2.58 7 0.07 ml O 2 /g h in summer. The seasonal effects on T b were not significant (P = 0.09).

(3) The ecological physiology properties for the hamster were higher MR and wider TNZ in winter but a lower MR and narrower TNZ in summer, which were closely related to their living habits, characterized by a cold winter and hot, dry summer.