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Facultative variation across a shallow to deep torpor spectrum in hummingbirds

View ORCID ProfileA Shankar, INH Cisneros, S Thompson, View ORCID ProfileCH Graham, View ORCID ProfileDR Powers
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.18.452827
A Shankar
1Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
2Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL), Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
3Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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  • For correspondence: nushiamme@gmail.com
INH Cisneros
4George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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S Thompson
4George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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CH Graham
1Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
2Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL), Birmensdorf, CH-8903, Switzerland
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DR Powers
4George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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Abstract

Many small endotherms use torpor, saving energy by a controlled reduction of their body temperature and metabolic rate. Some species (e.g. arctic ground squirrels, hummingbirds) enter deep torpor, dropping their body temperatures by 23-37 °C, while others can only enter shallow torpor (e.g., pigeons, 3-10 °C reductions). However, deep torpor in mammals can increase predation risk (unless animals are in burrows or caves), inhibit immune function, and result in sleep deprivation, so even for species that can enter deep torpor, facultative shallow torpor might help balance energy savings with these potential costs. Deep torpor occurs in three avian orders. Although the literature hints that some bird species can use both shallow and deep torpor, little empirical evidence of such an avian torpor spectrum exists. We infrared imaged three hummingbird species that are known to use deep torpor, under natural temperature and light cycles, to test if they were also capable of shallow torpor. All three species used both deep and shallow torpor, often on the same night. Depending on the species, they used shallow torpor for 5-35% of the night. The presence of a bird torpor spectrum indicates a capacity for fine-scale physiological and genetic regulation of avian torpid metabolism.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • https://github.com/nushiamme/TorporShallowDeep

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted July 19, 2021.
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Facultative variation across a shallow to deep torpor spectrum in hummingbirds
A Shankar, INH Cisneros, S Thompson, CH Graham, DR Powers
bioRxiv 2021.07.18.452827; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.18.452827
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Facultative variation across a shallow to deep torpor spectrum in hummingbirds
A Shankar, INH Cisneros, S Thompson, CH Graham, DR Powers
bioRxiv 2021.07.18.452827; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.18.452827

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