Data from: Environmental structure and energetic consequences in groups of young mice

Microenvironments can have considerable physiological consequences for the
inhabitants by influencing the movements of individual members. The
microenvironment can permit more diverse aggregation patterns or restrict
movements to certain dimensions. Here, we tested whether aspects of the
microenvironment that influenced aggregation patterns also influenced the
energetics of groups of young animals. We tested the effects of enclosure
configuration on the group temperature and respiration of infant mice (Mus
musculus). We monitored the huddle temperature and respiration of groups
in flat, concave and conical enclosures, which varied in shape and
available space, and consequently the types of movements they permitted.
We found that the amount of available space (or density) had a stronger
effect on the group temperature than did the shape of the enclosure or
types of permissible movements. We found no evidence that density or shape
of the arena strongly affected the respiration rate of the group, with
groups showing similar levels of oxygen consumption in all treatments. The
lower density enclosures conveyed a considerable metabolic savings to
groups in comparison to those tested in a higher density enclosure. These
findings show density can have a large effect on the energetics of young
mice, and provide insights on how simple features of the environment will
influence physiology in a changing world.