Biology Psychology; Thermoregulation and eating behaviour Flashcards
______can regulate their body temperature via metabolic processes (‘warm blooded’ animals, including humans). Endothermic animals can stay active in cold weather, but they need more energy to heat their bodies and therefore need more food.
Endotherms
_______have a body temperature that is influenced by the external environment (incorrectly known as ‘cold blooded’). Ectothermic animals do not need energy to heat themselves but as a result they are inactive in cold weather.
Ectotherms
________do not need a fixed body temperature to survive, and most terrestrial ectotherms are poikilotherms (e.g. snakes & many lizards) but the naked mole rat is a mammal poikilotherm.
Poikilotherms
________are animals that need to maintain a constant body temperature to survive and are usually endotherms (some ectotherms, e.g. desert lizards, are homeotherms).
Homeotherms
- Insulation
- Metabolic heat production/physiological
thermoregulation - Countercurrent heat exchange
- Behaviour
THERMOREGULATION
Altering metabolic generation of heat to regulate
temperature
For example:
Metabolism increases to raise internal body
temperature in a colder environment
PHYSIOLOGICAL THERMOREGULATION
- Shivering
- Panting
- Evaporation of water
from respiration
and/or sweating
METABOLIC ACTIVITY
Warm and cold blood flow in opposite directions
to regulate the temperature (arteries & veins)
* Usually around the brain/head region
* e.g. Leatherback Turtle, Sea Gull
COUNTERCURRENT HEAT EXCHANGE
Using posture, orientation and/or microclimate selection
to regulate body temperature
e.g. lizard increases temperature by “spread eagle”
posture on top of a hot rock (microclimate) & turning its
back to the sun (orientation)
BEHAVIOURAL THERMOREGULATION
Reduced metabolic activity and body temperature for
less than a day (endotherm)- governed by circadian
rhythm
* Animals continue foraging
e.g. bats, hummingbirds, small Australian marsupials
(stripe-faced dunnarts
TORPOR (mini-hibernation)
Long-term torpor (can be 6 months) occurring in the
winter months (endotherms & ectotherms), to
conserve energy
* animals usually do not forage but rely on energy
stores (food caches or body energy reserves)
e.g. European ground squirrels, adders, some bears
HIBERNATION
Long-term torpor (can be 6 months) occurring in the
summer months (ectotherms)
* To avoid damage from high temperatures
(dessication- extreme dryness or drying out)
e.g. lungfish, salamanders, land snails, Australian
water-holding frog, cane toads
ESTIVATION
– active at night
e.g. owl, mice, koala
NOCTURNAL
– active during daytime
e.g. “grazers” – gazelles, elephants
DIURNAL
– active at dawn & dusk
e.g. deer, rabbits, most birds, red pandas, cats
CREPUSCULAR
– active at periods throughout 24-hours
e.g. some lemur
CATHEMERAL
