Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Body temperature and autogrooming in the mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus

1981; Academic Press; Volume: 33; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0163-1047(81)91977-4

1557-8003

Merri Pendergrass, D. D. Thiessen,

Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research

The Harderian gland releases lipids and pigments to the external nares of the nose, which are then spread widely over the body by autogrooming. The Harderian material darkens the pelage and increases the rate of body temperature gain under radiant temperatures of 32°C, (D. D. Thiessen, M. L. Pendergrass, & A. E. Harriman, Journal of Thermal Biology, in press). In this study, adult male Harderianectomized and intact gerbils are exposed for 15 min to ambient temperature conditions ranging from 8 to 37°C. Convective and conductive heat are the thermal stimuli. Under ascending ambient temperature conditions, there are increases in body temperature and decreases in autogrooming, but Harderianectomized and intact animals do not differ. Apparently, the Harderian material on the pelage interacts with radiant but not convective and conductive heat, suggesting that it is a specific adaptation to solar radiation.