Assessing the Thermal Limit of Bottlenose Dolphins: A Cooperative Study byTrainers, Scientists, and Animals

摘要

Although bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) may be exposed to ocean watertemperatures ranging from 6 deg C to 27 deg C, little is known regarding their preferred environmental temperatures. Consequently, it is difficult to predict the 'ideal' water temperature for the animals in captivity. To determine the range of thermally neutral water temperatures for these cetaceans, we examined the thermoregulatory physiology of adult bottlenose dolphins (body weight = 136 kg) trained to rest in a water filled box. Metabolic rate, body temperature, skin temperature, and heat flow were measured over a 10 deg C range of water temperatures. The results indicate that the lower critical water temperature (Tlc) for bottlenose dolphins is variable; Tlc, was less than 6 deg C for San