Metabolic heat loss in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) differs with stage of moult and between habitats

• Published in: Journal of Thermal Biology
• Main Authors: Paterson, William, D, Chaise, Laureline, Mcknight, Chris, Currie, John, I, Thompson, Dave, Ancel, André, Gilbert, Caroline, Mccafferty, Dominic, J
• Other Authors: Scottish Oceans Institute University of St Andrews (SOI), School of Biology University of St Andrews, University of St Andrews Scotland -University of St Andrews Scotland, Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment University of Glasgow, Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie (DEPE-IPHC), Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien (IPHC), Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: Mirounga leonina; marine mammals; pinnipeds; heat loss; skin temperature; moult; thermoregulation; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Wallows; Elephant Seals; Southern Elephant Seals
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-03538632; https://hal.science/hal-03538632/document; https://hal.science/hal-03538632/file/J%20Therm%20Biol%20submission%20FINAL.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103183

International audience The moult in southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) represents an especially energetically demanding period during which seals must maintain high skin temperature to facilitate complete replacement of body fur and upper dermis. In this study, heat flux from the body surface was measured on 18 moulting southern elephant seals to estimate metabolic heat loss in three different habitats (beach, wallow and vegetation). Temperature data loggers were also deployed on 10 southern elephant seals to monitor skin surface temperature. On average, heat loss of animals on the beach was greater than in wallows or vegetation, and greater in wallows than in vegetation. Heat loss across all habitats during the moult equated to 1.8 x resting metabolic rate (RMR). The greatest heat loss of animals was recorded in the beach habitat during the late moult, that represented 2.3 x RMR. Mass loss was 3.6 ± 0.3 kg day-1, resulting in changes in body condition as the moult progressed. As body condition declined, skin surface temperature also decreased, suggesting that as animals approached the end of the moult blood flow to the skin surface was no longer required for hair growth.