Journal article
Hibernation and daily torpor in Australian and New Zealand bats: does the climate zone matter?
Australian Journal of Zoology, Vol.67(6), pp.316-330
2020
Abstract
We aim to summarise what is known about torpor use and patterns in Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) bats from temperate, tropical/subtropical and arid/semiarid regions and to identify whether and how they differ. ANZ bats comprise ∼90 species from 10 families. Members of at least nine of these are known to use torpor, but detailed knowledge is currently restricted to the pteropodids, molossids, mystacinids, and vespertilionids. In temperate areas, several species can hibernate (use a sequence of multiday torpor bouts) in trees or caves mostly during winter and continue to use short bouts of torpor for the rest of the year, including while reproducing. Subtropical vespertilionids also use multiday torpor in winter and brief bouts of torpor in summer, which permit a reduction in foraging, probably in part to avoid predators. Like temperate-zone vespertilionids they show little or no seasonal change in thermal energetics during torpor, and observed changes in torpor patterns in the wild appear largely due to temperature effects. In contrast, subtropical blossom-bats (pteropodids) exhibit more pronounced daily torpor in summer than winter related to nectar availability, and this involves a seasonal change in physiology. Even in tropical areas, vespertilionids express short bouts of torpor lasting ∼5 h in winter; summer data are not available. In the arid zone, molossids and vespertilionids use torpor throughout the year, including during desert heat waves. Given the same thermal conditions, torpor bouts in desert bats are longer in summer than in winter, probably to minimise water loss. Thus, torpor in ANZ bats is used by members of all or most families over the entire region, its regional and seasonal expression is often not pronounced or as expected, and it plays a key role in energy and water balance and other crucial biological functions that enhance long-term survival by individuals.
Details
- Title
- Hibernation and daily torpor in Australian and New Zealand bats: does the climate zone matter?
- Authors
- Fritz Geiser (Author) - University of New EnglandArtiom Bondarenco (Author) - University of New EnglandShannon E Currie (Author) - Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke Straße 17, 10315 Berlin, GermanyAnna C Doty (Author) - California State University, BakersfieldGerhard Körtner (Author) - University of New EnglandBradley S Law (Author) - New South Wales Department of Primary IndustriesChris R Pavey (Author) - CSIRO Land and WaterAlexander Riek (Author) - Friedrich-Loeffler-InstitutClare Stawski (Author) - University of New EnglandChristopher Turbill (Author) - Western Sydney UniversityCraig K. R Willis (Author) - University of WinnipegR. Mark Brigham (Author) - University of Regina
- Publication details
- Australian Journal of Zoology, Vol.67(6), pp.316-330
- Publisher
- C S I R O Publishing
- DOI
- 10.1071/ZO20025
- ISSN
- 1446-5698
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99615508602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
11 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Zoology
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites