F. C.
MINETT
and
S.
SEN
63
With animals in hot countries the mat-
er is somewhat different. As pointed out
Hornby [1942], the expression 'normal
temperature'. as applied to animals under
such conditions, has only a provisional
meaning. Regan and Freeborn [1936]
found that high-producing Jersey cows
kept at air temperature of 85°F. or over
for more than 24 hours were unable to
control their body temperatures. Regan
and Richardson [1938] found that the
rectal temperatures of cattle remained
constant at 101-101.3°F. when the air tem-
perature was between 40 and 70°F., above
that it began to increase and at 100°F. the
rectal temperature was 105.1°F. Although
cattle native to hot countries are more
tolerant of high air temperatures, princi-
ples similar to those just enunciated hold
good. Their normal resting temperatures
do not however differ from cattle of cooler
countries. For instance, Manresa and
Gomez [1937] for cattle of the Nellore
breed in the Philippines give a mean daily
value of 38.66°C. (101.59° F.), the diurnal
and nocturnal values being 38.7°C.
(101.66°F.) and 38.56°C (101.4°F.). These
figures were based on four-hourly readings
taken over seven days in April. The
values were lowest at 6 a.m. and highest
at 6 p.m., while the diurnal values were
said to be significantly higher than the
octurnal (number of observations not
stated). They too note a high and signi-
i cant correlation at the same hours of the
lay between body temperature and air
temperature. In a later paper by Manresa
and Falcon [1939] for six mature Nellore
cattle higher values are given, viz. average
39.01°C. (102.2°F.) during the hotter part
of the year, March to July (average air
emperature 28.22°C. or 82.8°F.) and
average 38.82°C. (101.88°F.) during the
ooler months—August to February
average air temperature 26.87ºC. or
30.37°F.).
As for buffaloes, there is the same
orrelation with air temperature. Mac-
regor [1941] says the normal tempera-
ure may be put at 98.8°F. but that on hot
lays it may reach 104°F. For sheep,
Ritzman and Benedict [1931] give rectal
temperatures of some 50 animals at diffe-
rent times. The ranges found were:
for light-woolled yearlings 39.2-40.40°C.
(102.56-104.72°F.)
for light-woolled adults 38.8-39.7°C.
(101.84- 103.46°F.)
for heavy-woolled adults 38.9-39.7°C.
(102-103.46°F.)
They state that sheep are not sensitive
to environmental temperatures, presuma-
bly owing to protection from the fleece.
Probably, however, they were not referring
to higher air temperatures. For goats in
India (Lahore), Sadiq [1943] has recently
given some figures. The average morning
temperature for 366 goats was 100.7°F.,
70 per cent of the observations falling
between 100 and 102°F., the average even-
ing temperature of 230 goats was 102.2ºF.,
75 per cent of the observations being in
the range 101-103°F. Air temperature has
a marked effect, the curves for body tem-
perature and mean monthly air tempera-
tures roughly coinciding.
For poultry, Fronda [1925], using
White Leghorn fowls kept in air at 60-80°F.,
noted a sharp fall of body temperature
between 6 and 8 p.m. to the lowest point
from 10 p.m. to midnight. The tempera-
ture then rose and attained its highest
level from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Examples are:
6 p.m. 107.28°F., 10 p.m. 105.75°F., 8 a.m-
107.4°F. The mean 6 a. m. to 6.p.m. level
was from 106.83 to 107.36°F. The varia-
tion in level is attributed to feeding activi-
ties in the morning and afternoon and the
habit of roosting at about 6 p.m. Air
temperatures were not considered to
affect the level, but no observations were
made at temperatures above 80ºF. Hey-
wang [1938] has also dealt with the relation-
ship between air temperature and body
temperature in hens. In the case of White
Leghorn hens kept in cages and at air
temperature which varied from an average
of 54° to 99° F. at different observations
the mean morning body temperatures
(8-10 a.m.) fell from 106.3. to 105.6°F.,
in passing from lower to higher air tem-
perature, while the mean afternoon temper-