Body Temperatures in Some Australian Mammals II.Peramelidae

Abstract

Body temperature measurements on the short-nosed bandicoot (Thylacis obeaulus) have shown a nocturnal cycle with a range of 1· 2°C and a short active phase at 2200-0400 hr. The bilby or rabbit bandicoot (Macrotis lagoti8) had a sharply defined temperature cycle, with a range of almost 3°C after several months of captivity, during which the day-time resting temperature was progressively lowered from 36· 4 to 34· 2°C. Forced activity raised the diurnal temperature substantially but not to the nocturnal level. Forced activity did not raise the nocturnal level which was similar in the two species (37' O°C). Both species could regulate effectively at an ambient temperature of 5°C, but only Thylaci8 showed regulation at ambient temperatures of between 30 and 40°C.