Comparing Ambient Temperature and its Effect on Metabolic Rates in Endothermic Animals.

Abstract

Our investigation is focused on relating environmental temperatures to an animal’s metabolic rate. Our key question was asking how being outside our thermoneutral zone effects metabolism rate. This hasn’t been effectively proven because the studies were mostly on cockroaches or crickets which are ectothermic animals; our experiment is over mice which are endothermic animals. We decided to investigate the mice in climates outside their thermoneutral zone. Three tests were performed on the mice, one at room temperature, for control, one at an elevated temperature and one at a chilled temperature. From this experiment, we hope to further the understanding of metabolic rates and temperature.