The physiology of wild animals

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1977
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1977.0146; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.1977.0146

In recent years physiologists have increasingly paid attention to wild animals in their natural environment and to the physiological effects of environmental factors. Major advances have taken place in two fields: (1) effects of environmental variables (temperature, oxygen, water, etc.), and (2) sensory physiology and communication (acoustic, electric, olfactory, etc.). In this paper I discuss recent developments in the first of these fields: temperature regulation and metabolic responses to extreme temperatures (arctic, desert); use of water for temperature regulation, salt excretion and osmoregulation; energy demands during activity and locomotion (swimming, flying, running); and oxygen supply as it pertains to diving mammals and to bird flight at high altitude. Progress in these fields has vastly increased our understanding of the responses of wild animals to the demands and stresses of their environment.