NDLI: Torpor, thermal biology, and energetics in Australian long-eared bats (Nyctophilus)

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Geiser, F. Brigham, R. M.
Copyright Year	2000
Abstract	Previous studies have suggested that Australian long-eared bats (Nyctophilus) differ from northern-hemisphere bats with respect to their thermal physiology and patterns of torpor. To determine whether this is a general trait of Australian bats, we characterised the temporal organisation of torpor and quantified metabolic rates and body temperatures of normothermic and torpid Australian bats (Nyctophilus geoffroyi, 7 g and N. gouldi, 10 g) over a range of air temperatures and in different seasons. The basal metabolic rate of normothermic bats was 1.36 ± 0.17 ml g−1 h−1 (N. geoffroyi) and 1.22 ± 0.13 ml g−1 h−1 (N. gouldi), about 65% of that predicted by allometric equations, and the corresponding body temperature was about 36 °C. Below an air temperature of about 25 °C bats usually remained normothermic for only brief periods and typically entered torpor. Arousal from torpor usually occurred shortly after the beginning of the dark phase and torpor re-entry occurred almost always during the dark phase after normothermic periods of only 111 ± 48 min (N. geoffroyi) and 115 ± 66 min (N. gouldi). At air temperatures below 10 °C, bats remained torpid for more than 1 day. Bats that were measured overnight had steady-state torpor metabolic rates representing only 2.7% (N. geoffroyi) and 4.2% (N. gouldi) of the basal metabolic rate, and their body temperatures fell to minima of 1.4 and 2.3 °C, respectively. In contrast, bats measured entirely during the day, as in previous studies, had torpor metabolic rates that were up to ten times higher than those measured overnight. The steady-state torpor metabolic rate of thermoconforming torpid bats showed an exponential relationship with body temperature (r 2 = 0.94), suggesting that temperature effects are important for reduction of metabolic rate below basal levels. However, the 75% reduction of metabolic rate between basal metabolic rate and torpor metabolic rate at a body temperature of 29.3 °C suggests that metabolic inhibition also plays an important role. Torpor metabolic rate showed little or no seasonal change. Our study suggests that Australian Nyctophilus bats have a low basal metabolic rate and that their patterns of torpor are similar to those measured in bats from the northern hemisphere. The low basal metabolic rate and the high proclivity of these bats for using torpor suggest that they are constrained by limited energy availability and that heterothermy plays a key role in their natural biology.
Starting Page	153
Ending Page	162
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISSN	01741578
Journal	Journal of Comparative Physiology B
Volume Number	170
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	1432136X
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2000-03-30
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Physiology Biochemistry Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Endocrinology

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Thermal physiology of pregnant and lactating female and male long-eared bats, Nyctophilus geoffroyi and N. gouldi

Torpor, thermal biology, and energetics in Australian long-eared bats (Nyctophilus)

Torpor and thermal energetics in a tiny Australian vespertilionid, the little forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus)

Hibernation by tree-roosting bats

Summer heterothermy in Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) roosting in tree cavities in bottomland hardwood forests

Some like it cold: summer torpor by freetail bats in the Australian arid zone

The tradeoff between torpor use and reproduction in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)

Hibernation by a free-ranging subtropical bat (Nyctophilus bifax)

Energetics and torpor of a South American “living fossil”, the microbiotheriid Dromiciops gliroides

Torpor, thermal biology, and energetics in Australian long-eared bats (Nyctophilus)

Similar Documents

Thermal physiology of pregnant and lactating female and male long-eared bats, Nyctophilus geoffroyi and N. gouldi

Torpor, thermal biology, and energetics in Australian long-eared bats (Nyctophilus)

Torpor and thermal energetics in a tiny Australian vespertilionid, the little forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus)

Hibernation by tree-roosting bats

Summer heterothermy in Rafinesque’s big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) roosting in tree cavities in bottomland hardwood forests

Some like it cold: summer torpor by freetail bats in the Australian arid zone

The tradeoff between torpor use and reproduction in little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus)

Hibernation by a free-ranging subtropical bat (Nyctophilus bifax)

Energetics and torpor of a South American “living fossil”, the microbiotheriid Dromiciops gliroides

Torpor, thermal biology, and energetics in Australian long-eared bats (Nyctophilus)