POSTANESTHETIC MONITORING OF CORE BODY-TEMPERATURE USING TELEMETRY INNORTH-AMERICAN RIVER OTTERS (LUTRA-CANADENSIS)

Remote thermal telemetry was performed on North American river otters (Lutra canadensis) during the 1995 North Carolina Wildlife Resources C ommission Otter Restoration Project. Otters were anesthetized with eit her ketamine-midazolam (n = 11) or tiletamine-zolazepam (n = 9) combin ations. Based upon initial rectal temperatures, mild to moderate hyper thermia (39.4-40.5 degrees C) developed in five otters given ketamine- midazolam and three otters given tiletamine-zolazepam. Following anest hetic induction, each otter received an ingestible temperature transmi tter. Dependent upon gastrointestinal transit time and transmitter bat tery life, core body temperature was monitored for up to 13.75 hr post anesthesia. Thermal telemetry revealed a gradual decline in core tempe rature in all otters after anesthetic recovery (30-60 min). Median cor e temperature stabilized subsequently within 0.3 degrees C of resting temperature (38.4 degrees C) 1.75 hr after initial injection in otters given tiletamine-zolazepam and 2.75 hr in otters given ketamine-midaz olam. Minor fluctuations in body temperature (less than 1 degrees C) o ccurred in most otters from 6 to 13.75 hr and were attributed to varia tions in physical activity.