A system for the study of behavioral thermoregulation of small animals

A system suitable for the simultaneous monitoring of two unrestrained animals in separate thermoclines is described. It makes use of low-cost, field-proven components to: provide a graded convective and/or conductive temperature continuum over a relatively short runway; measure ambient temperatures at multiple locations within the thermocline; measure the body temperature of a free-running animal within the thermocline; localize the position of the animal within the thermal gradient; and print all the data at periodic intervals. Studies comparing the choices of thermal preference by guinea pigs under diverse conditions indicate that a satisfactory degree of resolution can be achieved by this system.