Abstract
Rats obliged to leave a thermoneurtral box to feed at air temperatures (T a) of 25°, 5 or −15°C reduced the total time spent feeding and the duration of each meal as T a fell, but increased their food intake by eating faster. Increasing the palatability of the food offered at −15°C T a did not prolong feeding but further increased food intake and the speed of eating. The estimated maximum fall in rectal temperature during feeding at −15°C was small (0.48°±0.15°C, S.E.) but skin temperatures of ears and tail tip fell to near 0°C. These rats were able to maintain near-normal balances of food intake and body temperature by reallocating the times spent feeding and sheltering and by altering the speed of eating; they thus resolved a conflict between hunger and cold discomfort with little evidence of a strain on homeostasis.
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