Using Thermal Imaging to Monitor Body Temperature of Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in A Zoo Setting
Non-invasive techniques can be applied for monitoring the physiology and behaviour of wildlife in Zoos to improve management and welfare. Thermal imaging technology has been used as a non-invasive technique to measure the body temperature of various domesticated and wildlife species. In this study, we evaluated the application of thermal imaging to measure the body […]
Thermoregulation in African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
Four young adult elephant bulls aged 21-23 in the Letsatsing Game Reserve, a private reserve near Pilanesbury NP in South Africa, were the subjects of this study focused on body temperature. The elephant were trained to carry people were engaged in short term daily programmes for tourist or public education groups and normally spend the […]
Body temperature and thermoregulation of Komodo dragons in the field
Komodo dragons from hatchlings (≈0.1 kg) to adults (≤80 kg) express the full magnitude of varanid species size distributions. We found that all size groups of dragons regulated a similar preferred body temperature by exploiting a heterogeneous thermal environment within savanna, forest and mangrove habitats. All dragons studied, regardless of size, were able to regulate […]
Estimating metabolic heat loss in birds and mammals by combining infrared thermography with biophysical modelling☆
Infrared thermography (IRT) is a technique that determines surface temperature based on physical laws of radiative transfer. Thermal imaging cameras have been used since the 1960s to determine the surface temperature patterns of a wide range of birds and mammals and how species regulate their surface temperature in response to different environmental conditions. As a […]
Gender differences in the circadian rhythms of rhesus monkeys
Studies investigating gender differences in human circadian rhythms report equivocal results. In addition, many of these studies have been limited to examination of one circadian variable. This study examined gender differences in circadian rhythms of multiple physiological variables of rhesus monkeys under highly controlled conditions. Under general anesthesia, eight female and seven male rhesus were […]
Physiological and hormonal responses to novelty exposure in rats are mainly related to ongoing behavioral activity
Stress research has been dominated by a circular type of reasoning that occurrence of a stress response is bad. Consequently, the stimulus is often interpreted as stressful in terms of aversiveness involving uncontrollability and unpredictability, which may have maladaptive and pathological consequences. However, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathico-adrenomedullary (SAM) system are not only activated […]
The circadian body temperature rhythm of Djungarian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) revealing different circadian phenotypes
Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) of our breeding stock show three rhythmic phenotypes: wild type (WT) animals which start their activity shortly after “lights-off” and are active until “lights-on”; delayed activity onset (DAO) hamsters whose activity onset is delayed after “lights-off” but activity offset coincides with “lights-on”; and arrhythmic hamsters (AR) that are episodically active throughout […]
Effects of straw bedding on physiological responses to stressors and behavior in growing pigs
To study the effects of environmental enrichment on physiological responses to stressors and behavior in growing pigs, pigs were housed in either a poor environment (standard farrowing pens followed by standard rearing and fattening pens) or in an enriched environment (larger farrowing pens followed by larger rearing and fattening pens, provision of straw). Body temperature, […]
Ovarian cycle approach by rectal temperature and fecal progesterone in a female killer whale, Orcinus orca
Abstract This study aimed to validate the measurements of body temperature and fecal progesterone concentrations as minimally invasive techniques for assessing ovarian cycle in a single sexually mature female killer whale. Rectal temperature data, fecal and blood samples were collected in the dorsal position using routine husbandry training on a voluntary basis. The correlations between […]
The Effect of Transport on Core and Peripheral Body Temperatures and Heart Rate of Sheep
The effect of transport on core and peripheral body temperatures and heart rate was assessed in ten 18-month-old Coopworth ewes (Ovis aries). Manual recordings of core (rectal) temperatures were obtained, and automated logging of peripheral (external auditory canal and pinna) temperatures and heart rate was carried out on the day prior to (day 1) and […]