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Control of insensible evaporate water loss by two species of mesic parrot suggests a thermoregulatory role
- Source :
- Journal of Experimental Biology.
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- The Company of Biologists, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Insensible evaporative water loss at or below thermoneutrality is generally assumed to be a passive physical process. However, some arid zone mammals and a single arid-zone bird can control their insensible water loss, so we tested the hypothesis that the same is the case for two parrot species from a mesic habitat. We investigated red-rumped parrots (Psephotus haematonotus) and eastern rosellas (Platycercus eximius), measuring their evaporative water loss, and other physiological variables, at a range of relative humidities at ambient temperatures of 20 and 30°C (below and at thermoneutrality). We found that, despite a decrease in evaporative water loss with increasing relative humidity, rates of evaporative water loss were not fully accounted for by the water vapour deficit between the animal and its environment, indicating that the insensible evaporative water loss of both parrots was controlled. It is unlikely that this deviation from physical expectations was regulation with a primary role for water conservation because our mesic-habitat parrots had equivalent regulatory ability as the arid-habitat budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). This, together with our observations of body temperature and metabolic rate, instead support the hypothesis that acute physiological control of insensible water loss serves a thermoregulatory purpose for endotherms. Modification of both cutaneous and respiratory avenues of evaporative may be involved, possibly via modification of expired air temperature and humidity, and surface resistance.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Physiology
030310 physiology
Vapour pressure of water
Aquatic Science
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
03 medical and health sciences
Water conservation
Water balance
Animal science
biology.animal
Relative humidity
Molecular Biology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
0303 health sciences
biology
Humidity
15. Life on land
Thermoregulation
13. Climate action
Insect Science
Budgerigar
Environmental science
Animal Science and Zoology
Water vapor
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14779145 and 00220949
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....ca2406d8fec613a3b08305c9a6b22ecc
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.229930