Captive Tawny Frogmouths Exhibit Similar Body Temperature Patterns as Wild Individuals

Free-ranging tawny frogmouths (Podargus strigoides) typically defend body temperature (T_b) between 38 and 40◦C during activity and allow it to fall to 29◦C during cold evenings. However, this pattern of nightly T_b decline has not been elicited in captivity during shortterm respirometry measurements. We used implanted T_b loggers to record the T_b of two captive tawny frogmouths from 24 September to 24 December 2019 to determine if the conditions in captivity would elicit similar T_b patterns to those measured in the wild. We recorded an average T_b of 34.8 ± 1.1 and 35.6 ± 1.0◦C for the two birds and minimum T_b of 31.0 and 32.0◦C. Minimum daily T_b was correlated between the two individuals, and the minimum T_b of both individuals was correlated with minimum daily Ta. Our results highlight the need to keep birds under appropriate captive conditions to perform physiological research that produces results which mirror responses by individuals in the wild.