Fire and Mice: Metabolic Rate and Temperature Change

Abstract

After reading about a pet supplier whose mice seem to eat more and be more active in colder temperatures, we believe that a mouse’s metabolic rate increases in lower temperatures. We tested this by placing mice in respiration chambers at three different temperatures (room temp- 23.5ºC, cold-19ºC, warm-28ºC). We used O₂ gas sensors to measure the rate of oxygen consumption. By measuring the rate of O₂ consumption, we can predict the change in metabolic rate. The results show that the mice consumed more oxygen in colder temperatures compared to warmer temperatures, and shows that metabolic rate increases as temperature decreases. This should be researched further to better support the data gathered in this experiment.