Thermoregulation in free-ranging Nycteris thebaica (Nycteridae) during winter : no evidence of torpor
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Date
Authors
Toussaint, Dawn Cory
Brigham, R. Mark
McKechnie, Andrew E.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
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 (Tskin). 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 Tskin
was distributed unimodally with most values in the 33–35 ◦C range, and a minimum Tskin 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.
Description
Keywords
Afrotropics, Body temperature, Heterothermy, Nycteridae, Skin temperature
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Toussaint, DC, Brigham, RM & McKechnie, AE 2013, 'Thermoregulation in free-ranging Nycteris thebaica (Nycteridae) during winter: No evidence of torpor', Mammalian Biology, vol. 78, no. 5, pp. 365-368.