At 11:58 AM 3/31/98 +1000, Peter Woodall wrote:
>
>To quote the authors:
>"These temperature decreases, which would lead to a metabolic depression,
>might help explain the extraordinary diving performance of king penguins.
>This energy saving would also be analagous to that which results from
>torpid periods in hibernators,...
Interesting! This suggests that this type of metabolic depression may also
combine with respiration in limiting the duration of a dive. If the body's
overall metabolism remains depressed at these levels for too long, then
perhaps there's a danger of the penguin going into "real" or prolonged
torpor during a dive. I suspect it would be a disadvantage for a penguin to
go into torpor while diving, especially if it is looking for prey. It may
even be dangerous, as a torpid penguin, itself, may become easy prey.
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Dr Stephen Ambrose
Research Manager
Birds Australia (Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union)
Australian Bird Research Centre
415 Riversdale Road,
Hawthorn East,
VIC 3123.
Tel: +61 3 9882 2622
Fax: +61 3 9882 2677
Email: S.Ambrose <> (at work)
<> (at home)
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