| The definition of homeotherm animal responses to temperature has traditionally based on metabolic and thermal physiology studies. The thermoneutral zone is defined as the range of ambient temperature within which metabolic rate is at a minimum, and within which temperature regulation is achieved by non-evaporative physical processes alone. As temperature raises, animals the upper critical temperature is reached, which is the ambient temperature above which thermoregulatory evaporative heat loss processes of a resting thermoregulating animal are recruited. These temperatures depend on a variety of factors including animal species and breed, age, adaptation or animal status, among others. These are influenced by other environmental conditions such as... |
