AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 250, Issue 3 377-R382, Copyright © 1986 by American Physiological Society
Body temperature and rate of O2 consumption in Chinese pangolins
M. E. Heath and H. T. Hammel
Body temperatures and rates of O2 consumption and CO2 production were
measured in four Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) during short-term
exposures (2-4 h) to ambient temperatures (Ta) of 10-34 degrees C. At Ta
less than 27 degrees C the pangolins curled into a sphere. At Ta greater
than 28 degrees C the animals laid on their backs with their soft abdominal
skin exposed. Rectal temperatures between 33.4 and 35.5 degrees C were
recorded from animals exposed to Ta of 10-32 degrees C. At Ta greater than
or equal to 32 degrees C the animals appeared to be markedly heat stressed,
rate of breathing was elevated, and core temperature rose somewhat. Resting
metabolic rates averaged 3.06 ml O2 X kg-1 X min-1. This is significantly
lower than would be predicted from the relationship between body mass and
metabolic rate established by Kleiber (The Fire of Life: an Introduction to
Animal Energetics. New York: Wiley, 1975) for other eutherian mammals. The
magnitude of the metabolic response to Ta below the lower critical
temperature was inversely correlated to the mass of the pangolin, the slope
being greatest for the smallest animals. Respiratory quotients of 0.85-1.0
were observed.
