laser-directed to the tail depends on these variations. Consequently, the fluctuations in tail and paw temperature thus represent a serious confound for thermal nociceptive tests, particularly when they are conducted at thermal neutrality.
El Bitar, N., Le Bars, D., Mouraux, A., Pincedé, I., Karroum, E., & Pollin, B. (2014). Thermoregulatory vasomotor tone of the rat tail and paws in thermoneutral conditions and its impact on a behavioral model of acute pain. Journal of Neurophysiology, 112(9), 2185-2198. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00721.2013 (Original work published 2014)