Armitage Charlotte, Bennie Jonathan J, Scopes Eleanor R, Liptrot Kristen, White Ian, Al-Fulaij Nida, McDonald Robbie A
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK.
Centre for Geography and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, UK.
Oecologia. 2025 Jun 3;207(6):97. doi: 10.1007/s00442-025-05730-3.
Torpor is a life history strategy for conserving energy during unfavourable conditions. Hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius are known for prolonged winter hibernation but also employ short bouts of torpor of less than 24 hrs, independently of hibernation. In Great Britain, at the edge of the species' range, there is marked spatial and temporal variation in short torpor among individuals and among populations, the causes and consequences of which are not well understood. We quantified variation in torpor use in the dormouse active season and identified individual and population-level correlates of torpor frequency. We analysed the data from the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme, comprising 53,953 observations of adult dormice in nest boxes on 381 sites over 25 years. Short torpor was more frequent at sites towards western Britain, at greater elevation, with more ancient woodland, and greater connectivity of broadleaf woodland. Dormice were more frequently torpid on colder and wetter days, and within colder and wetter seasons. Adult dormice observed in boxes containing young were rarely torpid, while adults alone were more frequently torpid. Lighter individuals were more frequently torpid earlier in the season (April-August) and heavier individuals later (September-October). Sites where short torpor was more frequent had lower counts of dormice and lower counts of breeding events. As a response to short and long-term variation in environmental conditions, short torpor is likely a mediator of environmental drivers of dormouse population dynamics. This is of particular relevance under climate change and at range edges, which already experience adverse environmental conditions.
蛰伏是一种在不利条件下保存能量的生活史策略。榛睡鼠（Muscardinus avellanarius）以长时间的冬季冬眠而闻名，但也会进行时长不到24小时的短时间蛰伏，且与冬眠无关。在英国，处于该物种分布范围边缘的地区，个体间和种群间的短时间蛰伏在空间和时间上存在显著差异，其原因和后果尚未得到充分理解。我们量化了榛睡鼠活跃季节中蛰伏行为的变化，并确定了蛰伏频率在个体和种群水平上的相关因素。我们分析了来自国家榛睡鼠监测计划的数据，该数据包含25年间在381个地点的巢箱中对成年榛睡鼠的53953次观察。在英国西部的地点、海拔较高的地方、有更多原始林地以及阔叶林连通性更高的地方，短时间蛰伏更为频繁。榛睡鼠在更寒冷潮湿的日子以及更寒冷潮湿的季节里更频繁地进入蛰伏状态。在装有幼崽的巢箱中观察到的成年榛睡鼠很少进入蛰伏状态，而单独的成年榛睡鼠则更频繁地进入蛰伏状态。较轻的个体在季节早期（4月至8月）更频繁地进入蛰伏状态，较重的个体则在后期（9月至10月）更频繁地进入蛰伏状态。短时间蛰伏更频繁的地点，榛睡鼠数量和繁殖事件数量较少。作为对环境条件短期和长期变化的一种反应，短时间蛰伏可能是榛睡鼠种群动态环境驱动因素的一个调节因子。在气候变化以及已经面临不利环境条件的分布范围边缘地区，这一点尤为重要。
