Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, 47809, USA; 4431 East Park Ave, Terre Haute, IN, 47805, USA.
Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, 47809, USA; Center for Bat Research, Outreach, and Conservation, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, 47809, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
J Therm Biol. 2022 Apr;105:103150. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103150. Epub 2021 Dec 27.
1: Thermal refuges are widely used by animals of all taxonomic groups and are critical to survival in severe weather. 2: Human activities are reducing the availability of natural refuges; consequently, artificial refuges are used as conservation management tools, particularly for bats. 3: Published box evaluations are generally incomplete, omitting thermal physiology and relevant thermal properties. 4: Here, we compare methods for evaluating the potential utility of bat box designs for bats and present a graphical spatiotemporal method that provides more complete information. 5: For illustration, we compare the original to three modified versions of the "rocket box" style bat box. 6: Box internal temperatures and generalized thermal physiology models are combined in two suitability indices appropriate to the mother, and to pups. 7: Results revealed that daily and seasonal averages of these indices obscured important processes and showed insignificant differences among bat box design modifications. 8: In contrast, graphical analysis highlighted the presence and spatiotemporal structure of significant differences among boxes, which were most evident in sunny weather. 9: Differences among boxes were sensitive to assumptions about bat thermal physiology and behavior. 10: We found that an external water jacket mitigated temperature extremes and extended favorable temperatures into the night, which could enhance pup development while the mothers foraged. 11: Further experiments are needed to evaluate the relation between metabolic heating by box occupants and thermal conditions within bat boxes.
热避难所被各种分类群的动物广泛使用，对于在恶劣天气下的生存至关重要。
人类活动正在减少自然避难所的可用性；因此，人工避难所被用作保护管理工具，特别是对于蝙蝠。
已发表的盒子评估通常不完整，忽略了热生理学和相关的热特性。
在这里，我们比较了评估蝙蝠箱设计对蝙蝠的潜在效用的方法，并提出了一种图形时空方法，提供了更完整的信息。
为了说明，我们比较了原始的“火箭箱”式蝙蝠箱和三个修改版本。
箱内温度和广义热生理学模型结合在两个适合度指数中，分别适用于母蝙蝠和幼崽。
结果表明，这些指数的日平均值和季节平均值掩盖了重要的过程，并且在蝙蝠箱设计修改之间显示出无意义的差异。
相比之下，图形分析突出了盒子之间存在的显著差异及其时空结构，在阳光明媚的天气中最为明显。
盒子之间的差异对蝙蝠热生理学和行为的假设敏感。
我们发现，外部水套减轻了温度极端，并将有利的温度延长到夜间，这可以在母亲觅食时增强幼崽的发育。
需要进一步的实验来评估盒子占用者产生的代谢热量与蝙蝠盒子内的热条件之间的关系。
