From electrocardiography to energetics: methods, constraints, and practical considerations for heart rate biologging in small animals

Shannon E Currie; Asgeir Bjarnason; Clare Stawski

doi:10.1007/s00360-026-01708-6

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From electrocardiography to energetics: methods, constraints, and practical considerations for heart rate biologging in small animals

Journal article

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From electrocardiography to energetics: methods, constraints, and practical considerations for heart rate biologging in small animals

Shannon E Currie, Asgeir Bjarnason and Clare Stawski

Journal of Comparative Physiology B, Vol.Advanced access

24-Sep-2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-026-01708-6

PMID: 42782315

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Abstract

ECG

accelerometry

biosensors

wildlife

field metabolic rate

Physiological biologging is a flourishing field enabling researchers to answer fundamental questions about animal behaviour and physiology in their natural environment. As biologging devices are further miniaturised their use on small species (< 1.5 kg) is increasing-making this a pivotal time to review how this technology is being used, and what technological limitations and practices users must be aware of, to answer questions in small animals. Here we focus on the applications of devices that measure heart rate and their use as a proxy for energy expenditure in small terrestrial species. We outline essential considerations for programming (i.e. ECG sampling frequency) and placement of devices, and strongly advocate for the verification of heart rate measurements via ECG analysis where possible. As devices become smaller, cheaper, and more effective there is a growing capacity for integration of multiple sensors on a single device. This has broad implications for the study of energy budgets, stress and conservation management in small species. We encourage users of biologging technology to thoughtfully consider our recommendations to make the most of what this technology can offer.

Details

Title: From electrocardiography to energetics: methods, constraints, and practical considerations for heart rate biologging in small animals
Authors: Shannon E Currie (Corresponding Author) - The University of Melbourne
Asgeir Bjarnason - Star-Oddi (Iceland)
Clare Stawski - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Journal of Comparative Physiology B, Vol.Advanced access
Publisher: Springer
DOI: 10.1007/s00360-026-01708-6
ISSN: 1432-136X
PMID: 42782315
Copyright note: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Data Availability: No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
Organisation Unit: K'gari Research Cluster; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991266096302621
Output Type: Journal article

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