REGENT’S PARK The tails of these silvery marmosets show up clearly as the monkeys’ coldest body part in this picture taken by a photographer using a thermal imaging technique at London Zoo.

While the warm parts of the marmosets’ bodies show up as red or yellow, the tails, which retain little warmth, appear green. The imaging technique has helped zookeepers to home in on the different tactics zoo animals use to conserve energy. Other pictures taken by Steve Lowe, an amateur photographer, show that the tips of a bird-eating spider’s eight legs were its coolest part and the only warm part of a pelican was its head. The thermal images also showed how the sacred ibis and flamingoes were able to shut off the blood supply to one leg.

David Field, of the Zoological Society of London, said: “While these amazing pictures may be more reminiscent of something from Tate Modern, they give us a unique perspective on how animals regulate their body temperatures.” He said that the thermal images had also been useful for showing where an animal had an infection, as these areas showed up as hot. Mr Lowe has donated the images to the zoo, which will use them to educate zookeepers, scientists and the public.

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