Abstract
In order to analyze the influence of solar radiation and the effects of water spray on thermoregulatory responses and heat production, three swamp buffaloes were subjected to three different treatments in mid-summer as follows: 1) They were exposed to direct solar radiation for 2h from noon, 2) They were sprayed with water during the exposure, and 3) They were kept in the shade as non-treated controls. The rectal temperature of the exposed buffaloes increased linearly from the start of exposure, whereas in both water sprayed and control animals, this parameter did not show any remarkable change throughout the experiment. Heat production in the exposed buffaloes began to increase after one hour of a latent period from the start of exposure. Value of heat production at 2h after the exposure was twice as high as the initial value. In both water-sprayed and control buffaloes heat production remained relatively constant throughout the experiment. It is evident from the results obtained that water spray is very effective in decreasing the excess heat production due to heat load, when the buffaloes are exposed to solar radiation.
