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Created: 2011-09-27
Updated: 2011-09-27

Pelt is adapted for thermoregulation: numbat


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Slide_show_arrows  1 of 1 Numbat / Martin Pot / LicenseGFDL - Gnu Free Document License

Sparse and shallow pelt of the numbat favours passive heat loss in the hot summer and radiative heat gain in the cooler winter

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Biomimetic Application Ideas
 
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[Collapse all sections] Summary
"Numbats are unusual marsupials in being exclusively diurnal and termitivorous. They have a sparse (1921·hairs/cm2) and shallow (1.19·mm) pelt compared with other Marsupials. Coat reflectivity is low (19%) for numbats compared with nocturnal marsupials, but absorptivity is similar to that of diurnal North American ground squirrels (72%), indicating that the coat of the numbat may be adapted for acquisition of solar heat. Numbat coat thermal resistance decreases significantly with wind speed from 45.9·s/m (at 0.5·m/s) to 29.8·s/m (at 3·m/s). Erecting the fur significantly increases pelt depth (6.5·mm) and coat resistance (79.2–64.2·s/m) at wind speeds between 0.5·m/s and 3·m/s. Numbat coat resistance is much lower than that of other marsupials, and wind speed has a greater influence on coat resistance for numbats than for other mammals, reflecting the low pelt density and thickness. Solar heat gain by numbats through the pelt to the level of the skin (60–63%) is similar to the highest value measured for any mammal. However the numbat’s high solar heat gain is not associated with the same degree of reduction in coat resistance as seen for other mammals, suggesting that its pelt has structural and spectral characteristics that enhance both solar heat acquisition and endogenous heat conservation. Maximum solar heat gain is estimated to be 0.5–3.6 times resting metabolic heat production for the numbat at ambient temperatures of 15–32.5°C, so radiative heat gain is probably an important aspect of thermoregulation for wild numbats." (Cooper et al. 2003: 2771)
About the inspiring organism
Threat Categories LONG_EN Med_800pxnumbat Banded anteater
Myrmecobius fasciatus Waterhouse, 1836
[Numbat]

IUCN Red List Status: Endangered
Habitat(s): Forest, Grassland

Some organism data provided by: ITIS: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Organism/taxonomy data provided by:
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist
Bioinspired products and application ideas

Application Ideas: Control of heat balance with materials that mimic the biophysical characteristics of the numbat's pelt, including insulation, structure, colour, hair spectral properties and skin colour.

Industrial Sector(s) interested in this strategy: Construction, textile, clothing

Experts
School of Animal Biology
Christine Cooper
The University of Western Australia
References
Cooper CE; Walsberg GE; Withers PC. 2003. Biophysical properties of the pelt of a diurnal marsupial, the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), and its role in thermoregulation. Journal of Experimental Biology. 206(16): 2771-2777.
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Prazeres
Occupation: College/University Educator
Location: Lisbon, Portugal

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