Title
Thermal energetics of torpid silver-haired bats Lasionycteris noctivagans
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2007
Keywords
Hibernacula, Hibernation, Metabolism, Thermoregulation, Torpor, Winter
Abstract
Heterothermic endotherms can reduce energy expenditure by using controlled reductions in various physiological processes, collectively called torpor. Torpor is an important mechanism which allows many small endotherms to survive seasonal periods of inactivity, but there are few data on metabolic rate during torpor (TMR) for small, tree-living bats during winter. Therefore, I report TMR of silver-haired bats Lasionycteris noctivagans (LeConte, 1831) measured at various ambient temperatures (T ). Bats were captured in October 2004 in southwestern Missouri, USA. No L. noctivagans had been captured at this time in this area previously. Mean body mass of 3 individuals was 10.49 g ± 0.3 SE. TMR varied with T and mean TMR was lowest at 5°C at 0.363 ml O Th (2.03 mW). These data indicate that the TMR of L. noctivagans is similar to another migratory, tree-roosting bat (the eastern red bat Lasiurus borealis; Müller, 1776), and suggest that T near 5°C is energetically optimal for hibernating L. noctivagans in this area. a a 2 a
Recommended Citation
Dunbar, Miranda B. "Thermal energetics of torpid silver-haired batsLasionycteris noctivagans." Acta theriologica 52, no. 1 (2007): 65-68.
DOI for the article
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03194200
