Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/2795
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dc.contributor.authorGeiser, Fritzen
dc.date.accessioned2009-10-30T16:20:00Z-
dc.date.issued2004-
dc.identifier.citationAustralian Mammalogy, 26(2), p. 125-134en
dc.identifier.issn1836-7402en
dc.identifier.issn0310-0049en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/2795-
dc.description.abstractApproximately half of the Australian continent is arid and is characterised by low primary productivity, limited supply of food and pronounced daily fluctuations of ambient temperature (Ta). Despite these adverse conditions the diversity of small mammals in the Australian arid zone is high, although their abundance is generally low. The most successful groups of small arid zone mammals are the dasyurid marsupials, native rodents, and insectivorous bats. A probable reason for the success of the insectivorous dasyurids and bats, which must cope with strong fluctuations in food and water availability, is their extensive use of torpor. Mammalian torpor is characterised by substantial reductions of body temperature (Tb) metabolic rate (MR) and water loss. Small arid zone dasyurids use exclusively daily torpor, some even during the reproductive season, when most mammals maintain strict homeothermy. Dasyurids reduce Tb from ~ 35°C during normothermia to ~ 15°C during torpor, the MR during torpor (TMR) is ~ 30% of basal metabolic rate (BMR). Mass loss, and thus water loss, is related to the duration of torpor bouts. Dasyurids usually enter torpor at night or in the early morning and arouse around midday or in the afternoon. Recent evidence shows that desert dasyurids may bask in the sun during rewarming from torpor. This can minimise energetic cost of arousal to a fraction of that required for endogenous warming. Arid zone bats are also likely to use torpor extensively, but few species, specific to the arid zone, have been studied. Nevertheless, widely distributed bats that occur in the arid zone, such as Nyctophilus geoffroyi, enter brief torpor for part of the day in summer and prolonged torpor (hibernation) for up to two weeks in winter and can reduce Tb to a minimum of 2 - 3°C and TMR to ~ 3% of BMR; mass loss and water loss are minimal during torpor. Patterns of torpor similar to those in bats also have been observed in the insectivorous echidnas and two species of insectivorous / nectarivorous pygmy-possums, which have distribution ranges that include semi-arid and arid areas. In contrast to these species, no detailed information is available on torpor in native Australian rodents, because little work with respect to torpor has been conducted in Australia. However, many arid zone rodents on other continents employ torpor and it is likely that Australian rodents do as well. In addition to reducing energy expenditure and water loss, use of torpor also appears to prolong life span. This is important for bridging adverse conditions and for subsequent re-colonization of areas after droughts and fires in inland Australia. Thus it appears that the success of small insectivorous/nectarivorous mammals and perhaps rodents in the Australian arid zone is partially due to their use of torpor.en
dc.languageenen
dc.publisherAustralian Mammal Society Incen
dc.relation.ispartofAustralian Mammalogyen
dc.titleThe role of torpor in the life of Australian arid zone mammalsen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
dc.subject.keywordsComparative Physiologyen
local.contributor.firstnameFritzen
local.subject.for2008060604 Comparative Physiologyen
local.subject.seo2008960305 Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Changeen
local.profile.schoolSchool of Environmental and Rural Scienceen
local.profile.emailfgeiser@une.edu.auen
local.output.categoryC1en
local.record.placeauen
local.record.institutionUniversity of New Englanden
local.identifier.epublicationsrecordpes:1419en
local.publisher.placeAustraliaen
local.format.startpage125en
local.format.endpage134en
local.peerreviewedYesen
local.identifier.volume26en
local.identifier.issue2en
local.contributor.lastnameGeiseren
dc.identifier.staffune-id:fgeiseren
local.profile.orcid0000-0001-7621-5049en
local.profile.roleauthoren
local.identifier.unepublicationidune:2872en
dc.identifier.academiclevelAcademicen
local.title.maintitleThe role of torpor in the life of Australian arid zone mammalsen
local.output.categorydescriptionC1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journalen
local.relation.urlhttp://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=AM04125.pdfen
local.relation.urlhttp://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an43935590en
local.search.authorGeiser, Fritzen
local.uneassociationUnknownen
local.year.published2004en
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science
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