STUDIES OF BEAVER ACTIVITY AND BODY-TEMPERATURE - A HISTORICAL-PERSPECTIVE - REPLY

Bovet claims that Smith ct al. (D.W. Smith, R.O. Peterson, T.D. Drumme r, and D.S. Sheputis, 1991. Can. J. Zool. 69: 2178-2182) and Dyck and MacArthur (A.P. Dyck and R.A. MacArthur, 1992. Can. J. Zool. 70: 1668- 1672) analyzed their data on activity and body temperature of beavers (Castor canadensis) incorrectly because they ignored the likelihood th at northern beavers in winter have activity rhythms with periods > 24 h. The analysis by Smith et al. was in fact appropriate for demonstrat ing seasonal changes in body temperature and its correlation with acti vity. These are important issues because researchers have obtained con flicting results and because seasonal changes in activity and body tem perature have implications for colony energetics in the context of foo d-hoarding behavior and social organization.