Many threatened species depend on climatic microrefugia, but places with harsh climates for predators may also play a refugial role. Feral cats threaten many native species in arid Australia. Although cats can persist in regions with no free water, their abundance should depend on the availability of microclimates that protect them from harsh environmental conditions. We developed a biophysical model of feral cat heat stress and used it to explore how behavior and microhabitat features influence water requirements and activity. Tests of model predictions against fine-scale GPS and microclimate data highlight the importance of refuges, particularly rabbit burrows. Continent-wide simulations show large but temporally varying areas of the arid zone that would be lethal for cats without access to deep or shaded burrows. Our approach can identify locations that may act as natural refuges for native prey, and where habitat management strategies may be effective in controlling cat abundance.

中文翻译：

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太热而无法狩猎：对猫捕食风险的热避难所的机械预测

许多受威胁的物种依赖于气候微型避难所，但对于捕食者来说，气候恶劣的地方也可能起到避难所的作用。野猫威胁着澳大利亚干旱地区的许多本土物种。虽然猫可以在没有自由水的地区生存，但它们的数量应该取决于保护它们免受恶劣环境条件影响的小气候的可用性。我们开发了野猫热应激的生物物理模型，并用它来探索行为和微生境特征如何影响水的需求和活动。针对精细 GPS 和小气候数据的模型预测测试突出了避难所的重要性，尤其是兔子洞穴。整个大陆的模拟显示了干旱区的大面积但随时间变化的区域，对于无法进入深洞或阴影洞穴的猫来说，这将是致命的。