Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina)
While endotherms can rely on their insulation to reduce heat loss to adapt to cold environments, renewing of fur during molt impairs insulation while they have to perfuse the periphery to support epidermal tissues. The southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina undertakes an annual catastrophic molt wh...
Published in: | Physiology & Behavior |
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ftuglasgow:oai:eprints.gla.ac.uk:172335 2023-05-15T16:05:24+02:00 Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) Chaise, Laureline L. McCafferty, Dominic J. Krellenstein, Adélie Gallon, Susan L. Paterson, William D. Théry, Marc Ancel, André Gilbert, Caroline 2019-02-01 text https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/172335/ https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/172335/7/172335.pdf en eng Elsevier https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/172335/7/172335.pdf Chaise, L. L., McCafferty, D. J. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/3989.html> , Krellenstein, A., Gallon, S. L. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30050.html>, Paterson, W. D. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/28136.html>, Théry, M., Ancel, A. and Gilbert, C. (2019) Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). Physiology and Behavior <https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Physiology_and_Behavior.html>, 199, pp. 182-190. (doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.016 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.016>) (PMID:30385351) cc_by_nc_nd_4 CC-BY-NC-ND Articles PeerReviewed 2019 ftuglasgow https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.016 2022-09-22T22:14:45Z While endotherms can rely on their insulation to reduce heat loss to adapt to cold environments, renewing of fur during molt impairs insulation while they have to perfuse the periphery to support epidermal tissues. The southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina undertakes an annual catastrophic molt while fasting on land in a wet, windy and cold environment. However, southern elephant seals show characteristic aggregation patterns that are predicted to reduce high metabolic costs during the molt. Between 2012 and 2016, 59 female elephant seals were tracked on land during their molt to study their aggregation behavior in relation to molt stage, habitat type and local weather conditions. Infrared thermography and stomach temperature loggers were used to observe variation in body surface and internal temperature in relation to molt stage and aggregation behavior. We found that thermal constraints varied during the molt, with a peak in surface temperature during the mid-stage of the molt. Wallows (mud pools) appear as favorable habitat to aggregate while molting. Indeed, wallows offered a warmer microclimate with greater ground temperature and lower wind speed. Moreover, there was a greater proportion of aggregated seals and larger group size in wallows. These aggregation patterns in wallows were influenced by local weather such that a greater proportion of seals were located in the center of the aggregation, and larger group size occurred during days of unfavorable meteorological conditions. We also observed a higher proportion of seals at mid-stage of molt amongst aggregated seals compared to isolated individuals. This aggregation behavior may reduce the cost of thermogenesis as surface body temperature and stomach temperature were cooler by 1.0 °C and 1.5 °C, respectively, in aggregated compared to isolated seals. As a consequence, huddling behavior may be thermally advantageous for female southern elephant seals during the molt. Article in Journal/Newspaper Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals University of Glasgow: Enlighten - Publications Wallows ENVELOPE(-45.605,-45.605,-60.691,-60.691) Physiology & Behavior 199 182 190 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Glasgow: Enlighten - Publications |
op_collection_id |
ftuglasgow |
language |
English |
description |
While endotherms can rely on their insulation to reduce heat loss to adapt to cold environments, renewing of fur during molt impairs insulation while they have to perfuse the periphery to support epidermal tissues. The southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina undertakes an annual catastrophic molt while fasting on land in a wet, windy and cold environment. However, southern elephant seals show characteristic aggregation patterns that are predicted to reduce high metabolic costs during the molt. Between 2012 and 2016, 59 female elephant seals were tracked on land during their molt to study their aggregation behavior in relation to molt stage, habitat type and local weather conditions. Infrared thermography and stomach temperature loggers were used to observe variation in body surface and internal temperature in relation to molt stage and aggregation behavior. We found that thermal constraints varied during the molt, with a peak in surface temperature during the mid-stage of the molt. Wallows (mud pools) appear as favorable habitat to aggregate while molting. Indeed, wallows offered a warmer microclimate with greater ground temperature and lower wind speed. Moreover, there was a greater proportion of aggregated seals and larger group size in wallows. These aggregation patterns in wallows were influenced by local weather such that a greater proportion of seals were located in the center of the aggregation, and larger group size occurred during days of unfavorable meteorological conditions. We also observed a higher proportion of seals at mid-stage of molt amongst aggregated seals compared to isolated individuals. This aggregation behavior may reduce the cost of thermogenesis as surface body temperature and stomach temperature were cooler by 1.0 °C and 1.5 °C, respectively, in aggregated compared to isolated seals. As a consequence, huddling behavior may be thermally advantageous for female southern elephant seals during the molt. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Chaise, Laureline L. McCafferty, Dominic J. Krellenstein, Adélie Gallon, Susan L. Paterson, William D. Théry, Marc Ancel, André Gilbert, Caroline |
spellingShingle |
Chaise, Laureline L. McCafferty, Dominic J. Krellenstein, Adélie Gallon, Susan L. Paterson, William D. Théry, Marc Ancel, André Gilbert, Caroline Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) |
author_facet |
Chaise, Laureline L. McCafferty, Dominic J. Krellenstein, Adélie Gallon, Susan L. Paterson, William D. Théry, Marc Ancel, André Gilbert, Caroline |
author_sort |
Chaise, Laureline L. |
title |
Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) |
title_short |
Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) |
title_full |
Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) |
title_fullStr |
Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) |
title_sort |
environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (mirounga leonina) |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/172335/ https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/172335/7/172335.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-45.605,-45.605,-60.691,-60.691) |
geographic |
Wallows |
geographic_facet |
Wallows |
genre |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
genre_facet |
Elephant Seal Elephant Seals Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal Southern Elephant Seals |
op_relation |
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/172335/7/172335.pdf Chaise, L. L., McCafferty, D. J. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/3989.html> , Krellenstein, A., Gallon, S. L. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30050.html>, Paterson, W. D. <http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/28136.html>, Théry, M., Ancel, A. and Gilbert, C. (2019) Environmental and physiological determinants of huddling behavior of molting female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina). Physiology and Behavior <https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Physiology_and_Behavior.html>, 199, pp. 182-190. (doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.016 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.016>) (PMID:30385351) |
op_rights |
cc_by_nc_nd_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.10.016 |
container_title |
Physiology & Behavior |
container_volume |
199 |
container_start_page |
182 |
op_container_end_page |
190 |
_version_ |
1766401297556176896 |