Hibernation and Daily Torpor in Two Pygmy Possums (Cercartetus Spp., Marsupialia)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The physiology of torpor was investigated in the pygmy possums Cercartetus concinnus (18 g) and C. lepidus (12 g). Body temperatures ( ) during torpor remained within 1 C of air temperature ( ) and showed a minimum of about 5 C in both species. Oxygen consumption ( ) during torpor was reduced to about 0.05 liters O₂/kg h, which amounts to only 1% of the rate of normothermic animals. Below of 5 C, the metabolism during torpor increased with a further decrease in , while was regulated at about 5 C. Rates of arousal were faster than predicted for endothermic vertebrates of comparable size. Duration of torpor bouts ranged from less than a day to a week, with the longest bouts occurring at < 10 C. The physiological characteristics of torpor in these two marsupial species are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those of placental hibernators.

This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit: