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Thermoregulation and Diurnal Roost Selection of Boreal Bats During Pre-Hibernation Period
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  • Kati Suominen,
  • Niclas Fritzén,
  • Mari Aas Fjelldal,
  • Anna Blomberg,
  • Minna Viljamaa,
  • Thomas Lilley
Kati Suominen
Finnish Museum of Natural History
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Niclas Fritzén
Ostrobothnia Australis
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Mari Aas Fjelldal
Finnish Museum of Natural History
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Anna Blomberg
Finnish Museum of Natural History
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Minna Viljamaa
University of Helsinki Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences
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Thomas Lilley
Finnish Museum of Natural History

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Living in a seasonal environment poses challenges for small mammals, such as bats, reliant on insects as their primary food source. Bats may adeptly navigate these energetic challenges by reducing their metabolism and body temperature, entering a state of torpor. Particularly during the winter, bats remain torpid for extended periods, but are dependent on sufficient energy reserves to survive until spring. With the onset of autumn and declining temperature, bats face the challenge of building their fat deposits during a time of decreasing food availability. Bats may therefore transition to cooler roosts to initiate torpor, thereby reducing energy expenditure. However, little is still known about torpor use or roost selection by bats in autumn. This study explores the factors influencing roost selection and torpor use and --duration in two bat species during this critical transition period between the breeding and overwintering season. We show that date in autumn is a stronger driver of torpor use than prevailing ambient temperature, and that bats employ specific strategies in which they first increase daytime torpor use before also increasing the use of nighttime torpor during the pre-hibernation fattening period, most likely to facilitate rapid fat accumulation. Notably, bats commenced nighttime torpor use after spending entire days in torpor. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of torpor and the energy-saving strategies employed during the crucial pre-hibernation period, marking the transition from summer to winter.
Submitted to Oikos
Submission Checks Completed
Assigned to Editor
22 Apr 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 Jun 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
31 Jul 20241st Revision Received
02 Aug 2024Submission Checks Completed
02 Aug 2024Assigned to Editor
02 Aug 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
20 Aug 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
31 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Accept