1. Thermoregulation in free-ranging Nycteris thebaica (Nycteridae) during winter: No evidence of torpor.
- Author
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Cory Toussaint, Dawn, Brigham, R. Mark, and McKechnie, Andrew E.
- Subjects
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BODY temperature regulation , *NYCTERIDAE , *DORMANCY (Biology) , *BAT physiology , *COLD-blooded animals , *HIBERNATION - Abstract
Bats are among the most heterothermic mammals, with nearly all species investigated under free-ranging conditions to date exhibiting some degree of daily torpor and/or hibernation. We investigated thermoregulation during late winter by seven Nycteris thebaica in a warm, semi-arid habitat in northern South Africa, using temperature-sensitive transmitters to measure skin temperature (T skin). Unexpectedly, we found no evidence for any expression of daily torpor or hibernation based on a total of 86 days of data from 7 bats (one male and six females), despite air temperatures as low as ∼10°C. Instead, daytime T skin was distributed unimodally with most values in the 33–35°C range, and a minimum T skin of 28.4°C at a roost temperature of 24.6°C. There are several possible reasons why N. thebaica may avoid torpor, including predation in roosts, and the long nightly foraging periods of this species compared to many others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
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