Abstract
Body and exhaled air temperatures of penguins were measured at ambient air temperatures from − 5 to 27°C. Penguins in an air temperature of 5°C decreased the temperature of their exhaled air to 9°C and thereby reclaimed 81.9% of the water and 83.4% of the heat added to the inhaled air. The heat recovered represents 17.0% of the simultaneous metabolic heat production. Penguins in an air temperature of 5°C and subjected to heat loads increased the temperature of their exhaled air to near that of their body and lost 39.1 cal/L air which is equivalent to 20.4% of their total metabolic heat production. The anatomical site where the majority of the heat and water exchange appears to take place is a common air chamber within the nasal passages of these birds. Alpha-adrenergic neural activity modulating blood flow to the mucosal lining of the nasal passages is postulated as the mechanisms which permits heat and water exchange in cold conditions and heat dissipation during heat loads.
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