Ecological influences on the use of torpor by Caprimulgid birds and Vespertilionid bats

能量是衡量许多生物功能的成本和收益的货币，很可能是最好地解释动物一般行为，特别是吸热的行为。我的研究项目专注于确定吸热体如何、何时以及为什么使用麻木来节省能源的生态背景。麻木源于新陈代谢降低，从而降低体温(TB)，从而节省能量。记录中使用它的物种数量迅速增加，以及它使吸热动物不太容易灭绝的想法，突显了它的重要性。 我们研究了食虫蝙蝠和夜间活动的鸟类(夜壶)对日常麻木的利用，它们的反应在生态和生理上都是一致的。在短期内，我们将确定麻木使用的大致模式，我的长期目标是解决为什么个人在使用麻木时使用麻木，用来启动生理反应的线索，最后是使用麻木明显灵活的原因。可能影响麻木使用的行为和生态因素包括：身体状况、社会互动、觅食成功和栖息地结构。人们对这些因素的相对重要性知之甚少，我们的研究将评估它们之间相互作用的性质。 我们将测量蝙蝠和鸟类在自然情况下对麻木的使用情况，这是对萨斯喀彻温省柏树山大型棕色蝙蝠的长期研究的一部分，也是对各种物种的短期研究的一部分，这些物种包括大型棕色、裂口脸蝙蝠和埃及吃水果的蝙蝠以及普通的贫困蝙蝠、波拉克蝙蝠和有雀斑的夜壶。在大多数项目中，温度敏感型无线电发射器或数据记录器将被用来收集关于自由活动物如何使用麻木的数据。在可能的情况下，我们将在实验中操纵食物供应和/或研究动物产生的能量成本，以评估哪些因素对刺激麻木使用最重要。

Energy is the currency by which the costs and benefits of many biological functions are measured and likely best explains behaviour by animals in general and endotherms in particular. My research program is focused on determining the ecological context for how, when and why endotherms use torpor to save energy. Torpor stems from reduced metabolism and thus reduced body temperature (Tb) leading to energetic savings. Its importance is underscored by the rapidly increasing number of species recorded to use it and the idea that it makes endotherms less susceptible to extinction. We study the use of daily torpor by both insectivorous bats and nocturnal birds (nightjars) whose responses converge ecologically and physiologically. In the short-term we will identify broad patterns in torpor use with my long-term goal being to address why individuals employ it when they do, the cues used to initiate the physiological response and finally the reasons for the apparent flexibility of its use. Behavioural and ecological factors that likely influence torpor use include: body condition, social interactions, foraging success and roost structure. The relative importance of these factors is poorly understood and our research will assess the nature of interactions between them. We will measure torpor use by bats and birds in natural situations as part of both a long-term study of big brown bats in Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan and short-term studies of a variety of species including big brown, slit-faced and Egyptian fruit eating bats and Common Poorwills, Pauraques and Freckled Nightjars. In most projects, temperature sensitive radio-transmitters or data loggers will be used to collect data on how free living animals use torpor. Where possible, we will experimentally manipulate food availability and or the energetic costs incurred by study animals to assess which factors are most important for stimulating torpor use.