Dausmann Kathrin H, Glos Julian, Ganzhorn Jörg U, Heldmaier Gerhard
Department of Animal Physiology, Phillips University, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
Nature. 2004 Jun 24;429(6994):825-6. doi: 10.1038/429825a.
The Madagascan fat-tailed dwarf lemur, Cheirogaleus medius, hibernates in tree holes for seven months of the year, even though winter temperatures rise to over 30 degrees C. Here we show that this tropical primate relies on a flexible thermal response that depends on the properties of its tree hole: if the hole is poorly insulated, body temperature fluctuates widely, passively following the ambient temperature; if well insulated, body temperature stays fairly constant and the animal undergoes regular spells of arousal. Our findings indicate that arousals are determined by maximum body temperatures and that hypometabolism in hibernating animals is not necessarily coupled to a low body temperature.
马达加斯加肥尾侏儒狐猴（Cheirogaleus medius）一年中有七个月在树洞中冬眠，即便冬季气温会升至30摄氏度以上。我们在此表明，这种热带灵长类动物依赖一种灵活的热反应，该反应取决于树洞的特性：如果树洞隔热性差，体温会大幅波动，被动地随环境温度变化；如果隔热性好，体温则保持相当稳定，且动物会定期苏醒。我们的研究结果表明，苏醒由最高体温决定，且冬眠动物的低代谢状态不一定与低体温相关。
