The predicted increase of the frequency and intensity of wildfires as a result of climate change could have a devastating impact on many species and ecosystems. However, the particular physiological and behavioural adaptions of animals to survive fires are poorly understood. We aimed to provide the first quantitative data on physiological and behavioural mechanisms used by a small heterothermic marsupial mammal, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata), that may be crucial for survival during and immediately after a fire. Specifically, we aimed to determine (i) whether captive torpid animals are able to respond to fire stimuli and (ii) which energy saving mechanisms are used in response to fires. The initial response of torpid dunnarts to smoke exposure was to arouse immediately and therefore express shorter and shallower torpor bouts. Dunnarts also increased activity after smoke exposure when food was provided, but not when food was withheld. A charcoal/ash substrate, imitating post-fire conditions, resulted in a decrease in torpor use and activity, but only when food was available. Our novel data suggests that heterothermic mammals are able to respond to fire stimuli, such as smoke, to arouse from torpor as an initial response to fire and adjust torpor use and activity levels according to food availability modulated by fire cues.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 29 June 2016.
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#16,449,210
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Outputs from Physiology & Behavior
#3,106
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#138,128
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Outputs of similar age from Physiology & Behavior
#28
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Altmetric has tracked 27,627,301 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 39th percentile – i.e., 39% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 4,956 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 15.7. This one is in the 36th percentile – i.e., 36% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 70 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 55% of its contemporaries.
