N. Copernicus University, Institute of Biology, Department of Animal Physiology, 87-100, Torun, Poland
Abstract:
1. 1.|Temperatures at four sites along the ventral nasal concha were recorded in four unrestrained rabbits exposed to ambient temperatures from 0 to 35°C.
2. 2.|The nasal temperatures decreased and temperature gradients from proximal to distal parts of the concha increased in cold-exposed rabbits.
3. 3.|The temperature gradients increased also during panting in heat-stressed rabbits.
4. 4.|The ventral nasal concha is suggested to be an efficacious heat exchanger both in cold and hot ambient, due to its geometry and vascularization.