Abstract
The aim of this study was to elucidate the physiological basis of hibernation under tropical conditions. Body temperature and metabolic rate were measured in the field in Cheirogaleus medius, a small Malagasy primate, which spends up to seven months hibernating. During hibernation, the body temperature tracked the highly fluctuating ambient temperature passively, resulting in high diurnal fluctuations. This may explain the apparent absence of periodic arousals. Metabolic rate was low during hibernation, compared to normothermic stages. Hibernation in C. medius therefore presumably represents an important and effective adaptation for the successful survival of the unfavourable dry season of western Madagascar.
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Dausmann, K.H., Ganzhorn, J.U., Heldmaier, G. (2000). Body Temperature and Metabolic Rate of a Hibernating Primate in Madagascar: Preliminary Results from a Field Study. In: Heldmaier, G., Klingenspor, M. (eds) Life in the Cold. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04162-8_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04162-8_4
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