Body temperatures of white-footed mice ( Peromyscus sp.) during daily torpor

Abstract

1. 1. Torport occurred in five species of Peromyscus in response to starvation at ambient temperatures from 0 to 23°C. 2. 2. Body temperatures during torport often remained well above the ambient temperature and did not fall below 13·4°C even at ambient temperatures of 0°C. 3. 3. The duration of a period of torpor was never more than 12 hr and duration was correlated with the ambient temperature in all species and with the ΔT in two species. 4. 4. Rates of body temperature increase during arousal were similar in all species and were slower than those for other species of the same body weight.