Characterizing animal stress through fractal analysis of thermoregulatory responses

摘要: Abstract Thermoregulatory responses, based on non-invasive tympanic temperature measures, are a logical energetically-based alternative to endocrine or other measures for objectively characterizing stress. Tympanic datasets obtained from growing, ad-libitum -fed cattle ( Bas taurus steers) were used compute the fractal dimension thermoregulatory responses non-stressing and several heat-stressing conditions. Within defined limitations sampling interval frequency, results showed clear differentiation among imposed environments by individual animals. Objective characterization of stress was attained threshold limit using technique.