Development of Insulation in Juvenile Rodents: Functional Compromise in Insulation

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Abstract
To determine the effects of wind and wetting on rodent furs we used both empirical measurements and a mechanistic model of heat transfer within fur layers to determine the insulation of the furs of juvenile and adult rodents in free-convective conditions and the resistance of those furs to the effects of wind and wetting. Adult woodrat fur is more resistant to the effects of wind and wetting than is juvenile woodrat fur. In simulations of heat transfer in the fur, changing juvenile fur density and hair thickness to more closely resemble those of adults decreases insulation in dry, still air. These results indicate that: 1 Structural properties of fur are related to the performance of the fur as an insulator under different environmental conditions. 2 Increased insulation of fur in still, dry air may reduce the ability of the fur to resist the effect of wind and wetting. 3 Juvenile fur of woodrats appears to be specialized to provide insulation in the protected nest environment. Adult cotton rat fur is more resistant to the effects of wetting than is the fur of juvenile cotton rats; however, resistance to the effects of wind does not differ among cotton rat age classes. Our results indicate that juvenile fur structure is not merely a developmental stage during a transition to adult characteristics, but is specialized for the nest environment.

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