The development of homeothermy in common eider ducklings (Somateria mollissima)

• Published in: Acta Physiologica Scandinavica
• Main Authors: STEEN, J. B., GABRIELSEN, G. W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1988
• Subjects: Physiology; Common Eider; Somateria mollissima
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1988.tb08365.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1748-1716.1988.tb08365.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1988.tb08365.x

Oxygen consumption ( V 02 ), body temperature (T B ) and electric muscle activity (EMG) were measured at varying ambient temperatures (T A ) in common eider ducklings from the eggs pipped to 1 day after hatching. Eggs at pipping and ducklings still wet from hatching doubled their V 02 at T A = 2–4 °C compared with T a = 27 °C, but were unable to maintain constant T B . Increased EMG activity was recorded from ducklings 30 min after hatching. Artificially dried i‐h‐old ducklings maintained normal T B (39.0–40.5) for at least 90 min at T A = 2 °C. Ducklings older than 24 h maintained homeothermy even when the pelt was artificially wetted. Oxygen consumption at thermoneutrality increased about 50% from hatching to 12 h of age. The specific thermal conductance of ducklings at different ages indicates that the youngest ducklings maintain homeothermy by having a cold periphery in addition to pelt insulation and increased V Q2 , while ducklings older than 12 h rely on pelt insulation and increased V o2 only.