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The Journal of Experimental Biology 206, 1727-1738 (2003)
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00348

Thermal windows on the trunk of hauled-out seals: hot spots for thermoregulatory evaporation?

Björn Mauck1,*, Kerstin Bilgmann2, Daryl D. Jones3, Ulf Eysel4 and Guido Dehnhardt1

1 Allgemeine Zoologie & Neurobiologie, ND6/33, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany,
2 Institut für Tierphysiologie, Universität Köln, Weyertal 119, D-50931 Köln, Germany,
3 Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada
4 Institut für Physiologie, Abteilung Neurophysiologie, MA4/149, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: mauck{at}neurobiologie.ruhr-uni-bochum.de)

Accepted 27 February 2003

Seals have adapted to the high heat transfer coefficient in the aquatic environment by effective thermal insulation of the body core. While swimming and diving, excess metabolic heat is supposed to be dissipated mainly over the sparsely insulated body appendages, whereas the location of main heat sinks in hauled-out seals remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate thermal windows on the trunk of harbour seals, harp seals and a grey seal examined under various ambient temperatures using infrared thermography. Thermograms were analysed for location, size and development of thermal windows. Thermal windows were observed in all experimental sessions, shared some common characteristics in all seals and tended to reappear in similar body sites of individual seals. Nevertheless, the observed variations in order and location of appearance, number, size and shape of thermal windows would imply no special anatomical site for this avenue of heat loss. Based on our findings, we suggest that, in hauled-out seals, heat may be transported by blood flow to a small area of the wet body surface where the elevation of temperature facilitates evaporation of water trapped within the seals' pelages due to increased saturation vapour pressure. The comparatively large latent heat necessary for evaporation creates a temporary hot spot for heat dissipation.

Key words: thermoregulation, thermal window, heat dissipation, evaporation, seal, Phoca groenlandica, Phoca vitulina, Halichoerus grypus


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