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Fat and fed: frequent use of summer torpor in a subtropical bat

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Abstract

A widely held view is that torpor is avoided by mammals whenever possible because of potential costs associated with reduced body temperatures and slowed metabolic processes. We examined this hypothesis by quantifying use of torpor in relation to body condition of free-ranging northern long-eared bats (Nyctophilus bifax, approximately 10 g), a species known to hibernate, from a subtropical region during the austral summer when insects were abundant. Temperature-telemetry revealed that bats used torpor on 85% of observation days and on 38% of all nights. Torpor bouts ranged from 0.7 to 21.2 h, but the relationship between duration of torpor bouts and ambient temperature was not significant. However, skin temperature of torpid bats was positively correlated with ambient temperature. Against predictions, individuals with a high body condition index (i.e., good fat/energy reserves) expressed longer and deeper torpor bouts and also employed torpor more often during the activity phase at night than those with low body condition index. We provide the first evidence that use of torpor in a free-ranging subtropical mammal is positively related with high body condition index. This suggests that employment of torpor is maximised and foraging minimised not because of food shortages or low energy stores but likely to avoid predation when bats are not required to feed.

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Abbreviations

MR:

Metabolic rate

Ta :

Ambient temperature

Tb :

Body temperature

Tskin :

Skin temperature

BCI:

Body condition index

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Margaret Stawski for all her help with fieldwork. We are also grateful to Gerhard Körtner, Brad Law, Alexander Riek, Michal Stawski, Christopher Turbill, and Courtney Waugh for their contributions to this study. This research was undertaken in agreement with permits issued by New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Animal Ethics Committee of the University of New England. The study was supported by grants from the University of New England and Bat Conservation International to CS and the Australian Research Council to FG.

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  1. Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia

    Clare Stawski & Fritz Geiser

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  1. Clare Stawski
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Correspondence to Clare Stawski.

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Stawski, C., Geiser, F. Fat and fed: frequent use of summer torpor in a subtropical bat. Naturwissenschaften 97, 29–35 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-009-0606-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-009-0606-x

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