THERMOREGULATION AND METABOLISM IN THE CAPE GOLDEN MOLE (INSECTIVORA,CHRYSOCHLORIS-ASIATICA)

The Cape golden mole, Chrysochloris asiatica is an insectivore which e xcavates superficial foraging burrows as it searches for its food. It has a mean (+/- S.D.) resting metabolic rate (RMR) when newly captured of 1.17 +/- 0.17 cm(3)O(2)g(-1)h(-1) (n = 14), within the thermoneutr al zone (TNZ) of 30-32 degrees C. The body temperature (Tb) of the mol e in the TNZ is low 3.29 +/- 0.36 (n = 14) and remains stable at ambie nt temperatures (Tas) from 28-32 degrees C. Above 32 degrees C (range 34-37 degrees C), Tb increases albeit slightly to 36 +/- 1.75 degrees C (n = 14). The conductance is high 0.27 +/- 0.06 cm(3)O(2)g(-1)h(-1) degrees C-1 (n = 46) at the lower limit of thermoneutrality. The mean RMR at 9 degrees C (the lowest Ta tested) was 4.82 +/- 1.1 cm(3)O(2)g( -1)h(-1), which is 4.1 times that of the RMR in the TNZ. At an ambient temperature of 9 degrees C, three of the golden moles entered a state of torpor where the RMR was reduced from 5.9 +/- 0.56 to 1.0 +/- 0.69 cm(3)O(2)g(-1)h(-1).