Urohidrosis and tarsal color in Cathartes vultures (Aves: Cathartidae)

Gary R. Graves

doi:10.2988/19-00002

Urohidrosis and tarsal color in Cathartes vultures (Aves: Cathartidae)

Gary R. Graves^*

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Abstract

Heat-stressed New World vultures (Cathartidae) practice urohidrosis by excreting urate-rich urine on their tarsi and feet to decrease body temperature through evaporative cooling. Soft part colors are useful taxonomic characters in Cathartes, but dried urates obscure the color and pigmentation patterns of the tarsi and feet. I describe these characters in fresh specimens of Cathartes aura (Turkey Vulture), C. burrovianus (Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture), and C. melambrotus (Greater Yellow-headed Vulture) collected in Guyana. Species-specific differences in the melanic pigmentation of the tarsi and feet are revealed when urates are removed. The rosy-red intertarsal joints, which are normally unobscured by urates, may function in intraspecific signaling in all three species. The seasonality and geographic extent of urohidrosis in Cathartes are unknown.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington
Vol/bind	132
Udgave nummer	1
Sider (fra-til)	56-64
Antal sider	9
ISSN	0006-324X
DOI	https://doi.org/10.2988/19-00002
Status	Udgivet - 1 jan. 2019

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10.2988/19-00002

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title = "Urohidrosis and tarsal color in Cathartes vultures (Aves: Cathartidae)",

abstract = "Heat-stressed New World vultures (Cathartidae) practice urohidrosis by excreting urate-rich urine on their tarsi and feet to decrease body temperature through evaporative cooling. Soft part colors are useful taxonomic characters in Cathartes, but dried urates obscure the color and pigmentation patterns of the tarsi and feet. I describe these characters in fresh specimens of Cathartes aura (Turkey Vulture), C. burrovianus (Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture), and C. melambrotus (Greater Yellow-headed Vulture) collected in Guyana. Species-specific differences in the melanic pigmentation of the tarsi and feet are revealed when urates are removed. The rosy-red intertarsal joints, which are normally unobscured by urates, may function in intraspecific signaling in all three species. The seasonality and geographic extent of urohidrosis in Cathartes are unknown.",

keywords = "Cathartes, Guyana, intraspecific signaling, tarsal color, urohidrosis, vulture",

author = "Graves, {Gary R.}",

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N2 - Heat-stressed New World vultures (Cathartidae) practice urohidrosis by excreting urate-rich urine on their tarsi and feet to decrease body temperature through evaporative cooling. Soft part colors are useful taxonomic characters in Cathartes, but dried urates obscure the color and pigmentation patterns of the tarsi and feet. I describe these characters in fresh specimens of Cathartes aura (Turkey Vulture), C. burrovianus (Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture), and C. melambrotus (Greater Yellow-headed Vulture) collected in Guyana. Species-specific differences in the melanic pigmentation of the tarsi and feet are revealed when urates are removed. The rosy-red intertarsal joints, which are normally unobscured by urates, may function in intraspecific signaling in all three species. The seasonality and geographic extent of urohidrosis in Cathartes are unknown.

AB - Heat-stressed New World vultures (Cathartidae) practice urohidrosis by excreting urate-rich urine on their tarsi and feet to decrease body temperature through evaporative cooling. Soft part colors are useful taxonomic characters in Cathartes, but dried urates obscure the color and pigmentation patterns of the tarsi and feet. I describe these characters in fresh specimens of Cathartes aura (Turkey Vulture), C. burrovianus (Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture), and C. melambrotus (Greater Yellow-headed Vulture) collected in Guyana. Species-specific differences in the melanic pigmentation of the tarsi and feet are revealed when urates are removed. The rosy-red intertarsal joints, which are normally unobscured by urates, may function in intraspecific signaling in all three species. The seasonality and geographic extent of urohidrosis in Cathartes are unknown.

KW - Cathartes

KW - Guyana

KW - intraspecific signaling

KW - tarsal color

KW - urohidrosis

KW - vulture

U2 - 10.2988/19-00002

DO - 10.2988/19-00002

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85069160842

SN - 0006-324X

VL - 132

SP - 56

EP - 64

JO - Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

JF - Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

IS - 1

ER -

Urohidrosis and tarsal color in Cathartes vultures (Aves: Cathartidae)

Abstract

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