Metabolism and body temperature of 2 desert canids, coyotes (Canis latrans) and kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis)
Golightly RT and Ohmart RD. 1983. Metabolism and body temperature of 2 desert canids, coyotes (Canis latrans) and kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis). Journal of Mammalogy. 64(4):624-635
O2 consumption and body temperature of desert coyotes (c. latrans) and kit foxes (V. macrotis) were measured at ambient temperatures between -10 and +42 degree C. Measurement of O2 consumption established a thermal neutral zone between 22-26 deg. C for kit foxes in summer and between 23-33 deg. C in winter. Within the zone, metabolic rate was 0.0034 W/g in summer & 0.0028 W/g in winter or 117% and 97% predicted respectively. Kit foxes exhibited high thermal conductance, which varied seasonally. High thermal conductance in the kit fox is hypothesized as an adaptation for dissipating exercise heat loads by nonevaporative means. Kit foxes made minimal use of evaporative cooling for dissipation of metabolic heat. The body temperature of both species was elevated at warm ambient temperature.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Golightly, R.; Ohmart, Robert
- Units
- SODN
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Ecology, Inventory and Monitoring (I&M), Mammalia