Thermal physiology of three sympatric small mammals from southern Africa

• Published in: Journal of zoology (1987) 2019-01, Vol.307 (1), p.28-35
• Main Authors: Hoole, C., Czenze, Z. J., Bennett, N. C., McKechnie, A. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; Animal behavior; Body size; Body temperature; Conductance; Crocidura flavescens; crocidurinae; dry thermal conductance; evaporative water loss; Heat transfer; Life history; Mammals; Metabolic rate; Metabolism; murinae; Mus minutoides; Myosorex varius; myosoricinae; Phylogeny; Physiology; Population decline; Rodents; Small mammals; Soricidae; Species; Sympatric populations; Thermal conductivity; thermal physiology; Thermodynamic properties; thermoregulatory pattern; Water loss
• ISSN: 0952-8369; 1469-7998
• DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12613

Small mammals, and particularly shrews and mice, have relatively high mass‐specific metabolic rates and may be constrained to habitats where they can avoid extreme temperatures. Although their phylogeny differs, shrews and rodents often inhabit the same environments and compete for resources due to their similar body masses and dietary overlap. Our aim was to elucidate the variation in thermal parameters of sympatric species. We examined Myosorex varius, Crocidura flavescens and Mus minutoides, by measuring metabolic rate, evaporative water loss (EWL), body temperature (Tb) and thermal conductance over a range of ambient temperatures (Ta). Body temperatures of all three species remained above 32°C across the range of Ta. For all species, there was no relation between Ta