Heat transfer and body temperature regulation in Huskies

[oz93666]

Huskies are designed for snow and are much happier at -10 C
What I can't understand is how they can tollerate living in houses at +25 C when the only way they can efectivly lose heat is by evaporation from the mouth , why arn't they constantly panting.

 

[pinball1970]

Huskies are designed for snow and are much happier at -10 C
What I can't understand is how they can tollerate living in houses at +25 C when the only way they can efectivly lose heat is by evaporation from the mouth , why arn't they constantly panting.

Domesticated Huskies are bred here (UK) so will be more adapted to those higher temperatures.

 

[oz93666]

Domesticated Huskies are bred here (UK) so will be more adapted to those higher temperatures.

I can't see how that works pinball ... they still have that massive "double" fur coat .. The only way adaptation would occour (according to evolution theory) is if those intollerant to high temperatures died before reproducing , I don't think there are reports of huskies dying .

 

[pinball1970]

I can't see how that works pinball ... they still have that massive "double" fur coat .. The only way adaptation would occour (according to evolution theory) is if those intollerant to high temperatures died before reproducing , I don't think there are reports of huskies dying .

https://siberianhuskywelfare.co.uk/huskies-and-heat-plus-humidity/#:~:text=Huskies are a danger to,of base coat to adjust.

Evolution has put them out in the cold but this type of thing is a mixture of genetics and conditioning according to the site. You just have to take precautions in warmer conditions.

 

[DaveE]

Dogs don't sweat over their whole body. Most all heat transfer is through respiration, not so much through evaporation or radiation from their body. So wearing a thick fur coat only matters a little bit. Also note that they don't have nearly as much hair on their belly, so lying down on cool ground can help too. When it's really hot, they do pant a lot, so do Labradors, Vizslas and especially Pugs. Because respiration is the dominant mechanism, the brachycephalic breads are at much more risk in extreme heat than the very hairy ones.

Individual adaptation for local conditions is also pertinent. If you take a Husky that's adapted to summers in Las Vegas to Nome for the winter, they will be very uncomfortable for a while, and vice versa. This is partly because of learned thermoregulation behaviors.

 

[Baluncore]

We think of snow as being cold, but snow is actually a good insulator, that is why an igloo or snow cave provides good shelter, and why animals burrow into the powder snow. The dogs you see, buried in fluffy powder snow, are actually warmer, than those standing above the surface. In the same way, a swimmer, underwater in a thermal pool, will be warmer than one standing out in the cold air and wind.

It is also important to realise is that, the temperature in the snow, is often higher than in the air on a clear night. Radiation to the sky can be to -55°C, while the snow may only be to -10°C, and snow also provides shelter from the wind chill.

A house with a couple of inches of snow on the roof, will be warmer than one without snow, exposed to the stars.

Take an IR thermometer for a walk on a clear night, so you can measure the temperature of the sky overhead, under trees, or in caves. The coldest place is on a peak or ridge, exposed to the wide sky. The next coldest is standing in the air on the flat, or on a valley floor where cold air pools on a still night. The warmest is on the side of a steep hill, under the tree canopy, buried in fluffy snow, or sheltered from the wind.

 

[DaveE]

We think of snow as being cold, but snow is actually a good insulator, that is why an igloo or snow cave provides good shelter, and why animals burrow into the powder snow. The dogs you see, buried in fluffy powder snow, are actually warmer, than those standing above the surface. In the same way, a swimmer, underwater in a thermal pool, will be warmer than one standing out in the cold air and wind.

It is also important to realise is that, the temperature in the snow, is often higher than in the air on a clear night. Radiation to the sky can be to -55°C, while the snow may only be to -10°C, and snow also provides shelter from the wind chill.

A house with a couple of inches of snow on the roof, will be warmer than one without snow, exposed to the stars.

Take an IR thermometer for a walk on a clear night, so you can measure the temperature of the sky overhead, under trees, or in caves. The coldest place is on a peak or ridge, exposed to the wide sky. The next coldest is standing in the air on the flat, or on a valley floor where cold air pools on a still night. The warmest is on the side of a steep hill, under the tree canopy, buried in fluffy snow, or sheltered from the wind.

Yes, exactly. But the Husky's body temp is 104F. So a big reason for the fluffy coat is to keep the snow away from their skin where it can be a good insulator. If it gets to the skin it can melt which is really bad for insulation.