| Wildlife Environmental Physiology (WEP) is an area of research within the Brain Function Research Group in the School of Physiology. Our research focuses on the ecophysiology and thermoregulation of African, Australian and Arabian mammals, as well as the physiological responses of wild mammals to global climate change and game capture procedures.
Current research:
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Body temperature and thermoregulation of African, Australian and Arabian mammals
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Thermoregulation of small, arid-dwelling mammals
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Effects of habitat transformation on the physiology of animals
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The mechanisms involved in the control of selective brain cooling during heat stress and dehydration
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Effects on human interference on selective brain cooling in ungulates
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Thermal stress of capture
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Cooling of hyperthermic animals during capture
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Prevention of respiratory depression in opioid-immobilized animals
Staff:
Prof Andrea Fuller
Dr Robyn Hetem
Click here for a full staff list
Honorary staff
Prof Duncan Mitchell
Dr Leith Meyer, Central Animal Services, Wits
Dr Shane Maloney, University of Western Australia
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Current students:
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Reduction of stress-induced hyperthermia and respiratory depression during chemical capture in wild ungulates |
L Meyer
PhD (PT) |
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Coping with seasonality: comparative activity patterns of three species of grazing ungulates |
T Robinson
PhD (FT) |
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The influence of thermal ecology on distribution boundary dynamics of tropical ungulates in South Africa |
A Shrestha
PhD (FT) |
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Comparison of selective brain cooling in antelope specie |
M Strauss
PhD (PT) |
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Thermal physiology of free-living elephants |
M Kuwong
PhD (FT) |
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Thermal status of an animal as a predictor of stress |
M Broekman
MSc (PT) |
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Thermoregulation in free-living cheetah |
B de Witt
MSc (PT) |
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Body temperature correlates of the menstrual cycle in baboons |
T Nyakudya
MSc (FT) |
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Cooling methods to treat capture-induced hyperthermia in blesbok |
J Sawicka
MSc (FT) |
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Use of infrared thermography to investigate thermoregulation in African elephants |
N Tarrao
MSc (FT) |
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Comparison of thermoregulation in Cape ground squirrels in summer and winter |
W Wilson
MSc (FT) |
Postgraduate opportunities:
For more information on projects, see BFRG Postgraduate Opportunities
Latest publications from WEP:
FICK LG, KUCIO TA, FULLER A, MATTHEE A, MITCHELL D
The relative roles of the parasol-like tail and burrow shuttling in thermoregulation of free-ranging Cape ground squirrels, Xerus inauris
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 152: 334-340, 2009
HEBERT J, LUST A, FULLER A, MALONEY SK, MITCHELL D, MITCHELL G
Thermoregulation in pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana, Ord) in winter
Journal of Experimental Biology 211: 749-756, 2008
HETEM RS, DE WITT BA, FICK LG, FULLER A, KERLEY GIH, MEYER LCR, MITCHELL D, MALONEY SK
Body temperature, thermoregulatory behaviour and pelt characteristics of three colour morphs of springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis)
Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A 152: 379-388, 2009
HETEM RS, DE WITT BA, FICK LG, FULLER A, KERLEY G, MALONEY S, MEYER LCR, MITCHELL D
Summer shearing affects body temperature of Angora goats (Capra aegagrus) more than does winter shearing
Animal, 3: 1025-1036, 2009
HETEM R, MITCHELL D, MALONEY S, MEYER L, FICK L, KERLEY G, FULLER A
Fever and sickness behavior during an opportunistic infection in a free-living antelope, the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
American Journal of Physiology Regulatory Integrative & Comparative 294:246-254, 2008
MALONEY SK, FULLER A, MITCHELL D
Climate change: is the dark Soay sheep endangered?
Biology Letters 5: 826-829, 2009
MALONEY SK, FULLER A, MEYER LCR, KAMERMAN PR, MITCHELL G, MITCHELL D
Brain thermal inertia, but no evidence for selective brain cooling, in free-ranging western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus)
Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 179: 241-251, 2009
MEYER L, FICK L, MATTHEE A, MITCHELL D, FULLER A
Hyperthermia in captured impala (Aepyceros melampus): a fright not flight response
Journal of Wildlife Diseases 44: 404-416, 2008
MEYER LCR, HETEM RS, FICK LG, MATTHEE A, MITCHELL D, FULLER A
Thermal, cardiorespiratory and cortisol responses of impala (Aepyceros melampus) to chemical immobilization with four different drug combinations
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 79: 121-129, 2008
MITCHELL D, FULLER A and MALONEY SK
Homeothermy and primate bipedalism: is water shortage or solar radiation the main threat to baboon (Papio hamadryas) homeothermy?
Journal of Human Evolution, 56: 439-446, 2009
NDESENDO VMK, PILLAY V, CHOONARA YE, KHAN RA, MEYER L, BUCHMANN E, ROSIN U
In vitro and ex vivo bioadhesivity analysis of polymeric intravaginal caplets using physicomechanics and computational structural modeling
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 370: 151-159, 2009
For more information on Wildlife Environmental Physiology, Brain Function Research Group, contact Dr Robyn Hetem, Robyn.Hetem@wits.ac.za