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Gut reaction! Neotropical nectar-feeding bats responses to direct and indirect costs of extreme environmental temperatures

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Abstract

One of the consequences of anthropogenic climate change is an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. These events have caused mass mortality of different species of wildlife, including bats. In this study, we exposed two species of neotropical nectar-feeding bats that live in contrasting environmental conditions (A. geoffroyi and L. yerbabuenae) to extreme high and low temperatures while offering them diets with different energy content. This experimental approach allowed us to determine their thermal and behavioral responses, and to identify environmental conditions that impose high physiologic costs to these species. To determine how bats' responded, we monitored both changes in their body masses and skin temperatures. Both bat species responded differently, with L. yerbabuenae spending more time in normothermia at high temperatures than A. geoffroyi. While both species presented torpor, they used it differently. Torpor allowed A. geoffroyi to maintain and increase body mass at intermediate and low ambient temperatures. At the same time, L. yerbabuenae used torpor only when facing cold ambient temperatures and low-quality food. Understanding the mechanisms that allow species to face changes in their environment is essential given the current climate trends and the fact that the loss of these species could have significant negative consequences in tropical and subtropical ecosystems.

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Abbreviations

T skin :

Skin temperature

F iw :

Feeder initial weight

F fw :

Feeder final weight

B im :

Bat initial mass

B fm :

Bat final mass

Bm :

Change in bat mass

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Justin Boyles and one anonymous referee for their very helpful comments, Jorge I. Ayala-Berdon for suggestions that helped us during the experiments. Research funds were Granted to J. E. S. by PAPIIT-UNAM (IN205413). SOG acknowledges the scholarship and financial support provided by the National Council of Science and Technology. Funding has been recevied form Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México with PAPIIT-UNAM (IN205413), Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología with Grant 344613.

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Ortega-García, S., Ferreyra-García, D. & Schondube, J.E. Gut reaction! Neotropical nectar-feeding bats responses to direct and indirect costs of extreme environmental temperatures. J Comp Physiol B 190, 655–667 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-020-01288-z

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