Living on the edge : daily, seasonal and annual body temperature patterns of Arabian Oryx in Saudi Arabia

dc.contributor.emailncbennett@zoology.up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.contributor.upauthorBennett, Nigel Charles
dc.date.accessioned2017-07-28T11:15:51Z
dc.date.available2017-07-28T11:15:51Z
dc.date.issued2017en_ZA
dc.description.abstractHeterothermy, the ability to allow body temperature (Tb) to fluctuate, has been proposed as an adaptive mechanism that enables large ungulates to cope with the high environmental temperatures and lack of free water experienced in arid environments. By storing heat during the daytime and dissipating it during the night, arid-adapted ungulates may reduce evaporative water loss and conserve water. Adaptive heterothermy in large ungulates should be particularly pronounced in hot environments with severely limited access to free water. In the current study we investigated the effects of environmental temperature (ambient, Ta and soil, Ts) and water stress on the Tb of wild, free-ranging Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in two different sites in Saudi Arabia, Mahazat as-Sayd (MS) and Uruq Bani Ma’arid (UBM). Using implanted data loggers wet took continuous Tb readings every 10 minutes for an entire calendar year and determined the Tb amplitude as well as the heterothermy index (HI). Both differed significantly between sites but contrary to our expectations they were greater in MS despite its lower environmental temperatures and higher rainfall. This may be partially attributable to a higher activity in an unfamiliar environment for translocated animals in UBM. As expected Tb amplitude and HI were greatest during summer. Only minor sex differences were apparent that may be attributable to sex-specific investment into reproduction (e.g. male-male competition) during rut. Our results suggest that the degree of heterothermy is not only driven by extrinsic factors (e.g. environmental temperatures and water availability), but may also be affected by intrinsic factors (e.g. sex and/or behaviour).en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Program Saudi Arabia and the National Research Foundation, South Africaen_ZA
dc.description.tableofcontentsThis xls file contains: Streicher et al. Body temp data Mahazat, Streicher et al. Body temp data UBM, Streicher et al. Climate data, Streicher et al. Heterothermy index and Streicher et al. Table S1 overview of oryx body mass.en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationStreicher, S & Lutermann, H & Bennett, NC & Bertelsen, MF & Mohammed, OB & Manger, PR & Scantlebury, M & Ismael, K & Alagaili, AN 2017, “Data from: Living on the edge: daily, seasonal and annual body temperature patterns of Arabian Oryx in Saudi Arabia”, data set, http://hdl.handle.net/2263/61490en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/61490
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_ZA
dc.rights©University of Pretoria. Dept of Zoology & Entomology. © N.C. Bennett. Re-use permitted with attribution. See the suggested citation to this item.en_ZA
dc.rights© N.C. Bennett. Re-use permitted with attribution. See the suggested citation to this item.
dc.subjectArabian oryxen_ZA
dc.subjectMahazat as-Sayden_ZA
dc.subjectUruq Bani Ma’ariden_ZA
dc.subjectDeserten_ZA
dc.subjectBody temperatureen_ZA
dc.subjectAdaptive heterothermyen_ZA
dc.titleLiving on the edge : daily, seasonal and annual body temperature patterns of Arabian Oryx in Saudi Arabiaen_ZA
dc.typeDataseten_ZA

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