Kleptothermia

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Kleptothermia (from ancient Greek κλέπτειν kléptein , German 'stehlen, cunning stealing' and ancient Greek θέρμη thérmē , German 'heat, heat' ) means heat theft ( English kleptothermy ) and names the strategy observed in amphibians and reptiles to benefit from the heat balance of other animals.

Almost all amphibians and reptiles are cold-blooded animals and therefore largely adopt the temperature of their surroundings. Nevertheless, they often understand how to use different strategies to keep their body temperature within limits. For example, snakes seek direct sunlight to increase their body temperature or snuggle up to heated rocks.

The Australian biologists François Brischoux, Xavier Bonnet and Richard Shine from the University of Sydney, Australia, have found behavior in the common flattail ( Laticauda laticauda ), a poisonous sea ​​snake , which they call kleptothermia . They had equipped the animal with a device that recorded the time, diving depth and temperature and were thus able to determine that it was in a nest cavity of wedge-tailed shearwaters ( Puffinus pacificus ), who maintain a constant body temperature of around 37 degrees Celsius, for three days long warmed up.

Other cold-blooded animals also show this behavior, such as the black mamba ( Dendroaspis polylepis ), which like to retreat to the air-conditioned termite mounds .

literature

  • François Brischoux1, Xavier Bonnet, Richard Shine: Kleptothermy: an additional category of thermoregulation, and a possible example in sea kraits (Laticauda laticaudata, Serpentes) . In: Biology letters . 2009 (English, abstract ).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Pape , Max Sengebusch (arrangement): Concise dictionary of the Greek language . 3rd edition, 6th impression. Vieweg & Sohn, Braunschweig 1914 ( zeno.org [accessed December 5, 2019]).
  2. ^ Wilhelm Pape , Max Sengebusch (arrangement): Concise dictionary of the Greek language . 3rd edition, 6th impression. Vieweg & Sohn, Braunschweig 1914 ( zeno.org [accessed December 5, 2019]).

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