Seasonal energy requirements and thermoregulation of growing pouched mice,Saccostomus campestris (Cricetidae)

Abstract

Pouched mice (Saccostomus campestris) were born in captivity during January and March and subsequently maintained under long photoperiod (14 h light: 10 h dark) at 25°C. During their first winter (July) and the following summer (January) the pouched mice were exposed to natural photoperiod in an unheated laboratory for 3 weeks prior to measurement. The pouched mice continued to grow during the study, and were significantly heavier after summer exposure than after winter exposure 6 months earlier. Although this increase in body mass would result in a decline in their surface area to volume ratio there was no significant decline in minimal thermal conductance (C _m) and winter-exposed pouched mice had a relatively lowerC _m than expected. Meanwhile the smaller, winter-exposed animals displayed a significantly higher capacity for non-shivering thermogenesis, together with higher levels of basal metabolism than summer individuals. These differences were not solely attributable to the contrasting body mass of each group and it is therefore clear thatS. campestris can increase thermoregulatory heat production, and modify heat loss following exposure to short photoperiod and cold during their first winter. Despite the significant increase in metabolism, the overall energy requirements of small, winter-exposed animals were significantly lower than those for heavier pouched mice following exposure to summer conditions. These results suggest that growing pouched mice can effectively adapt to lower temperature conditions during their first winter, yet accrue considerable overall savings in total energy requirements as a result of their smaller body mass.