| Title: | A preliminary study on the seasonal body temperature rhythms of the captive mountain hare (Lepus timidus) |
| Address: | "University of Joensuu, Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland. pniemine@cc.joensuu.fi" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2008.01.004 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1090-2392 (Electronic) 0011-2240 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | The mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is a year-round active herbivore adapted to survive the boreal winter. Captive mountain hares (N=4) were implanted with intraabdominal thermosensitive loggers to record their core body temperature (T(b)) for a year and during food deprivation (8-48h) in summer and winter. The average T(b) was 38.7+/-0.01 degrees C in summer and 38.3+/-0.01 degrees C in winter. The yearly T(b) correlated positively with the ambient temperature. The 24-h T(b) was the highest from late scotophase to early photophase in summer and winter and the lowest during middle-late photophase in summer or during early-middle scotophase in winter. The range of the 24-h oscillations in T(b) increased in three animals in winter. Food deprivation did not induce hypothermia in summer or winter. These preliminary data suggest that the mountain hare can spare a modest amount of energy with the wintertime reduction in T(b) |
| Keywords: | Animals Body Temperature Regulation/*physiology Female Food Deprivation Hares/*physiology Hypothermia/etiology Male Seasons; |
| Notes: | "MedlineNieminen, Petteri Mustonen, Anne-Mari eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Netherlands 2008/03/11 Cryobiology. 2008 Apr; 56(2):163-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2008.01.004. Epub 2008 Feb 6" |
