Thermal imaging can detect how
animals are coping with their environment, avoiding the need for capture,
according to new research.
The technique, which could
transform how biologists investigate responses of wild animals to environmental
changes, was tested on a population of a small songbird – the blue tit – at the
University of Glasgow's Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment
(SCENE) at Loch Lomond.
The thermal imaging technique
means biologists can learn how animals are responding to their surroundings
without having to capture and measure them (necessary with current methods).
This is because body temperature can change when animals make physiological
adjustments to preserve energy or deal with environmental stressors
The study, published
in Scientific Reports, found that skin temperature around the eye in the
blue tit is lower in birds in poorer condition, and in birds with higher levels
of stress hormones in their bloodstream.
In challenging circumstances,
such as during poor weather, or when food is scarce, animals need to save
energy. One way they can achieve this is by reducing heat production.
Challenging conditions also trigger a stress response, which is associated with
changes in blood flow around the body – blood is diverted to the areas with the
greatest need, increasing core temperature and reducing surface temperature.
So, both processes lead to a lower surface temperature.
