Journal article
A comparative analysis of huddling in infant Norway rats and Syrian golden hamsters: Does endothermy modulate behavior?
Behavioral neuroscience, Vol.114(3), pp.585-593
2000
DOI: 10.1037//0735-7044.114.3.585
PMID: 10883808
Abstract
In infant rats, huddling improves surface-to-volume ratios and provides metabolic savings during cold exposure. It is unclear, however, whether endothermy is also a necessary component of huddling. In the present experiment, huddles composed of infant Norway rats (2- or 8-day-olds), which produce heat endogenously, or Syrian golden hamsters (8-day-olds), which do not produce heat endogenously, were exposed to decreases in air temperature. Behavioral and physiological responses were monitored throughout the test. Rats, especially at 8 days of age, were better able to thermoregulate using huddling than hamsters, due in part to endogenous heat production. Furthermore, 8-day-old rats exhibited behavioral responses that promote heat retention, suggesting that both physiological and behavioral mechanisms contribute to effective thermoregulation during huddling in the cold.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A comparative analysis of huddling in infant Norway rats and Syrian golden hamsters: Does endothermy modulate behavior?
- Creators
- Greta SokoloffMark S BlumbergMegan M Adams
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Behavioral neuroscience, Vol.114(3), pp.585-593
- DOI
- 10.1037//0735-7044.114.3.585
- PMID
- 10883808
- NLM abbreviation
- Behav Neurosci
- ISSN
- 0735-7044
- eISSN
- 1939-0084
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2000
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984001100802771
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