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Energetics Of Migratory Bats During Stopover: A Test Of The Torpor-Assisted Migration Hypothesis, Dylan E. Baloun

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The torpor-assisted migration hypothesis posits that during stopover bats regulate time in torpor facultatively so that daily energy expenditure is independent of ambient roosting temperature. However, direct measurements of total roosting energy expenditure in relation to ambient and body temperature are lacking. I captured migratory silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) at Long Point, Ontario in spring and fall 2016. I used quantitative magnetic resonance analysis to measure full-day energy expenditure of bats roosting at 10, 17 and 25°C and assessed the effects of migration season, body mass, sex and age on energy use. I found that daily energy expenditure …