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It is widely believed that torpor is mainly an adaptation of endotherms for cold stress and food limitation. We studied torpor use in the wild by a small tree-roosting microbat from a sub-tropical area during summer when food was abundant. Surprisingly, two torpor bouts per day were employed on each roost-day observed. The first bout occurred in the early morning and the second bout in the late afternoon, whilst a period of normothermia was maintained over the warmest part of the day. Torpor likely reduced energy expenditure substantially, and may be common in small microbats whose day-roosts are poorly insulated, even in sub-tropical climates. |
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