Rodents Inhabiting the Southeastern Mu Us Desert May Not Have Experienced Prolonged Heat Stress in Summer 2022

Abstract

Climate change combined with human activities has altered the spatial and temporal patterns of summer extreme heat in the Mu Us Desert. To determine how those rodents living in the desert respond to increased extreme heat in summer, in July 2022, during the hottest month, we examined the rodent species, vegetation coverage, and small-scale heterogeneity in ambient temperature in the southeastern Mu Us Desert. The results showed that Meriones meridianus, Meriones unguiculatus, and Cricetulus longicaudatus were found in the study area, where the vegetation coverage is 33.5–40.8%. Moreover, the maximum temperature of the desert surface was 61.8 °C. The maximum air temperature at 5 cm above the desert surface was 41.3 °C. The maximum temperature in the burrow at a depth of 15 cm was 31 °C. M. unguiculatus might experience 4–9.3 h of heat stress in a day when exposed outside the burrow, whereas M. meridianus would experience 8.5–10.8 h of heat stress. Yet, inside the burrow, both species were barely exposed to heat stress. In conclusion, adjustments in behavioral patterns can be the main way that rodents in the Mu Us Desert adapt to the extreme heat in the summer.

Animal burrow presence patterns and local shrub density in Central California Deserts

“…Increasing annual temperatures during summer seasons is a major issue for vertebrates in desert ecosystems. When faced with continuous solar radiation and high temperatures, some species of mammals will visit the cooler microclimates to reduce their overall exposure [46,47]. The dehydration effect of dry desert air on life-forms is a second signi cant barrier to survival in desert and arid regions [4].…”