We have investigated how total body thermosensitivity in various mammalian and avian species (mouse, rat, golden hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, dog, goat, pigeon, duck, goose) is related to their respective local thermosensitivities in the hypothalamus, spinal cord and skin. Local and total thermosensitivities were determined by measuring the relationship between the response of one thermoregulatory effector, metabolic heat production, and the appropriate temperature. Local cooling was performed with chronically implanted, water perfused thermodes, and local thermosensitivities were estimated by relating the maximum activation of metabolic heat production to the induced decreases in local temperature. Total body cooling was achieved by means of chronically implanted intravascular heat exchangers or with thermodes inserted into the lower intestinal tract, and total body thermosensitivity was assessed by relating the rise in metabolic heat production to the induced fall in core temperature. These analyses plus previous estimations derived from the literature show total body thermosensitivity in the different species to range from -4.0 to -12.0 W X kg-1 . C-1. We also measured rabbit spinal cord thermosensitivity and guinea pig hypothalamic and spinal cord thermosensitivity; values for local thermosensitivity in other species were derived from the literature. In all species, local thermosensitivities determined as cold sensitivities in the described way were smaller than the corresponding total body core sensitivities. We conclude that thermosensitive structures outside of the investigated thermosensitive areas contribute a major input to the controller of body temperature, particularly in avian species in which hypothalamic thermosensitivity is lacking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)