termoneutral

Termoneutral refers to a state where the environmental temperature is such that an animal does not need to expend extra energy to maintain its core body temperature. In other words, the ambient temperature falls within the animal's thermoneutral zone. This zone is the range of external temperatures at which an animal's metabolic rate is at its lowest, as it is neither actively trying to conserve heat nor dissipate excess heat.

For endotherms, like mammals and birds, maintaining a stable internal body temperature is crucial for physiological processes. Below the thermoneutral zone, they shiver and increase their metabolic rate to generate heat. Above the thermoneutral zone, they pant, sweat, or use other mechanisms to cool down, which also requires energy. The termoneutral zone varies significantly between species, depending on factors such as body size, fur or feather coverage, and metabolic rate.

Understanding the thermoneutral zone is important in various fields, including animal husbandry, where optimizing environmental conditions can improve animal welfare and productivity by reducing energy expenditure on thermoregulation. In research settings, maintaining animals within their thermoneutral zone is often a controlled variable to ensure that observed physiological responses are not confounded by temperature-related stress.