Comparative thermal relationships of flight for some bats in the Southwestern United States

O’Farrell, Michael J.; Bradley, W. Glen

doi:10.1016/0300-9629(77)90230-4

Cited by 17 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The effect of T a on T b varies, depending on the range of T a , species, and behavior (O'Farrell and Bradley 1977;Thomas et al 1991). Lancaster et al (1997) recorded no significant change in T b related to elapsed flight time, and others have suggested that T b increases during flight for bats (Thomas and Suthers 1972), although both of these studies were conducted within smaller ranges of T a or in laboratory settings that may not account for the ecological variables that bats encountered in our study.…”

Section: 549mentioning

confidence: 51%

“…Slightly reduced T b during flight effectively reduces sensible heat loss by diminishing the temperature gradient between the bat and the environment, a condition that is consistent with heat retention strategies (Henshaw 1970;Bakken 1976;Speakman and Racey 1989;Webb et al 1993). Reduced T b may also reduce evaporative water loss (O'Farrell and Bradley 1977) and oxygen demand for animals flying in hypoxic environments (Scott et al 2008). This type of low-oxygen environment would be expected at high altitudes or while flying at high speeds, two conditions regularly encountered by T. brasiliensis (Williams et al 1973;McCracken et al 2008).…”

Section: 549mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermoregulation during Flight: Body Temperature and Sensible Heat Transfer in Free-Ranging Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Reichard

Fellows²,

Frank³

et al. 2010

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Bat wings are important for thermoregulation, but their role in heat balance during flight is largely unknown. More than 80% of the energy consumed during flight generates heat as a by-product, and thus it is expected that bat wings should dissipate large amounts of heat to prevent hyperthermia. We measured rectal (T(r)) and surface (T(s)) temperatures of Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) as they emerged from and returned to their daytime roosts and calculated sensible heat transfer for different body regions (head, body, wings, and tail membrane). Bats' T(r) decreased from 36.8°C during emergence flights to 34.4°C during returns, and T(s) scaled positively with ambient temperature (T(a)). Total radiative heat loss from bats was significantly greater for a radiative sink to the night sky than for a sink with temperature equal to T(a). We found that free-ranging Brazilian free-tailed bats, on average, do not dissipate heat from their wings by convection but instead dissipate radiative heat (L) to the cloudless night sky during flight ([Formula: see text] W). However, within the range of T(a) measured in this study, T. brasiliensis experienced net heat loss between evening emergence and return flights. Regional hypothermia reduces heat loss from wings that are exposed to potentially high convective fluxes. Additional research is needed to establish the role of wings in evaporative cooling during flight in bats.

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Section: 549mentioning

confidence: 51%

Section: 549mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermoregulation during Flight: Body Temperature and Sensible Heat Transfer in Free-Ranging Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Reichard

Fellows²,

Frank³

et al. 2010

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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“…The MFT is surprisingly low in many Temperate Zone bats (especially in species active at low ambient temperatures [Ta]), ranging from 210 to 330C in a number of species (O'Farrell and Bradley 1977). However, few comparative data are available from tropical forms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energetic and Thermoregulatory Aspects of Clustering Behavior in the Neotropical Bat Noctilio albiventris

Roverud¹,

Chappell²

1991

Physiological Zoology

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Communal roosting has been proposed as a mechanism for facilitating thermoregulation in bats. We examined the effects of cluster size on body temperature (Tb) and metabolism (measured as 02 consumption, Voa) in Noctilio albiventris, a colonial insectivorous Neotropical bat with an adult body mass of 33-45 g.Measurements were made for group sizes of one, two, three, four, eight, and sixteen individuals at ambient temperatures (Ta) of 100, 200, and 300 C. At 300 C, Vo, is minimal (0.016 mL/[g . min]) and is not significantly affected by group size. At 100 and 200 C, Vo, is considerably higher than at 300 C, but it declines rapidly as group size increases from one to four. Increasing the group size beyond four individuals has little additional effect on 1Vo2. By switching from solitary roosting to a cluster offour or more, individual bats can reduce their Vo2 from 0.082 to 0 051I mL/(g min) at a Ta of IO0C (a 38% savings) and from 0.048 to 0.025 mL/(g min) at a T, of 200 C (a 47% savings). Mean body temperature was lowest for groups offour at all Ta 's. At Ta 's of 100 and 200 C there was more variance in Tb and a greater tendency for low Tb in groups offour or more than in smaller groups. The minimum Tb in groups of one to three was 32.30 C, but we measured Tb's as low as 27. 40 C in larger groups. We conclude that clustering lowers the energy cost of roosting in N. albiventris because (1) heat loss rates are reduced in groups and (2) individuals in groups are more likely than solitary bats to further decrease metabolism by becoming hypothermic. Noctilio albiventris may be selected to avoid hypothermia when solitary because low Tb probably increases their vulnerability to predation (the minimum Tb for flight is 350 C). Presumably, risks ofpredation are lower for bats roosting in groups.

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Facultative hypothermia as a thermoregulatory strategy in the phyllostomid bats, Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium

Audet

Thomas

1997

Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and

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The present study questions whether hypothermia is an artifact due to captivity-induced stress or a thermoregulatory strategy for bats of the neotropical family Phyllostomidae. In Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium exhibited a bimodal distribution of body temperatures when submitted to an ambient temperature of 21 degrees C. Body temperature was highly correlated with body mass in both species. C. perspicillata of mass > or = 20 g and S. lilium of mass > or = 17 g remained normothermic (body temperature > 37 degrees C), whereas at masses below 18 g and 13 g, respectively, > 80% of individuals were hypothermic (body temperature < or 32 degrees C). In two treatment groups for each species, we restricted food intake to ca. 20% of body mass on either night 1 or night 4 following capture. Hypothermia was significantly related to food-restriction, but not time in captivity. Metabolic rate (ml O2. g-1 h-1) at ambient temperature = 21 degrees C was MR = e(-2.11 + 0.101 Tb) (r2 = 0.7, P < 0.001) for C. perspicillata and MR = e(-2.62 + 0.115 Tb) (r2 = 0.89) for S. lilium. Free-ranging, radio tagged C. perspicillata exhibited daily depression of body temperature to 33-34 degrees C. We conclude that hypothermia is an thermoregulatory strategy that allows phyllostomid bats to adjust metabolic rate to feeding success and the level of fat stores.

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Comparative thermal relationships of flight for some bats in the Southwestern United States

Cited by 17 publications

References 10 publications

Thermoregulation during Flight: Body Temperature and Sensible Heat Transfer in Free-Ranging Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Thermoregulation during Flight: Body Temperature and Sensible Heat Transfer in Free-Ranging Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis)

Energetic and Thermoregulatory Aspects of Clustering Behavior in the Neotropical Bat Noctilio albiventris

Facultative hypothermia as a thermoregulatory strategy in the phyllostomid bats, Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium

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