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DOI	10.1093/conphys/coae032
	Hot climate, hot koalas: the role of weather, behaviour and disease on thermoregulation
	Mella, Valentina S. A.; Cooper, Christine E.; Karr, Madeline; Krockenberger, Andrew; Madani, George; Webb, Elliot B.; Krockenberger, Mark B.
发表日期	2024
ISSN	2051-1434
起始页码	12
结束页码	1
卷号	12 期号:1
英文摘要	We investigated how weather, behaviour and disease influence core body temperature (Tb) of wild koalas in summer. We found that koalas are more heterothermic than previously recognized. Tb increased with ambient temperature and disease disrupted the 24-hr circadian pattern of Tb. Behaviour (i.e. tree hugging and drinking free water) was not effective in moderating Tb. Thermoregulation is critical for endotherms living in hot, dry conditions, and maintaining optimal core body temperature (Tb) in a changing climate is an increasingly challenging task for mammals. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) have evolved physiological and behavioural strategies to maintain homeostasis and regulate their Tb but are thought to be vulnerable to prolonged heat. We investigated how weather, behaviour and disease influence Tb for wild, free-living koalas during summer in north-west New South Wales. We matched Tb with daily behavioural observations in an ageing population where chlamydial disease is prevalent. Each individual koala had similar Tb rhythms (average Tb = 36.4 +/- 0.05 degrees C), but male koalas had higher Tb amplitude and more pronounced daily rhythm than females. Disease disrupted the 24-hr circadian pattern of Tb. Koala Tb increased with ambient temperature (Ta). On the hottest day of the study (maximum Ta = 40.8 degrees C), we recorded the highest (Tb = 40.8 degrees C) but also the lowest (Tb = 32.4 degrees C) Tb ever documented for wild koalas, suggesting that they are more heterothermic than previously recognized. This requires individuals to predict days of extreme Ta from overnight and early morning conditions, adjusting Tb regulation accordingly, and it has never been reported before for koalas. The large diel amplitude and low minimum Tb observed suggest that koalas at our study site are energetically and nutritionally compromised, likely due to their age. Behaviour (i.e. tree hugging and drinking water) was not effective in moderating Tb. These results indicate that Ta and koala Tb are strongly interconnected and reinforce the importance of climate projections for predicting the future persistence of koalas throughout their current distribution. Global climate models forecast that dry, hot weather will continue to escalate and drought events will increase in frequency, duration and severity. This is likely to push koalas and other arboreal folivores towards their thermal limit.
英文关键词	Arboreal folivore; body heat; climate change; temperature regulation; temperature rhythmometry; thermal stress
语种	英语
WOS研究方向	Biodiversity & Conservation ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Physiology
WOS类目	Biodiversity Conservation ; Ecology ; Environmental Sciences ; Physiology
WOS记录号	WOS:001231745200001
来源期刊	CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://gcip.llas.ac.cn/handle/2XKMVOVA/306084
作者单位	University of Sydney; University of Sydney; Curtin University; James Cook University; University of Newcastle
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Mella, Valentina S. A.,Cooper, Christine E.,Karr, Madeline,et al. Hot climate, hot koalas: the role of weather, behaviour and disease on thermoregulation[J],2024,12(1).
APA	Mella, Valentina S. A..,Cooper, Christine E..,Karr, Madeline.,Krockenberger, Andrew.,Madani, George.,...&Krockenberger, Mark B..(2024).Hot climate, hot koalas: the role of weather, behaviour and disease on thermoregulation.CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY,12(1).
MLA	Mella, Valentina S. A.,et al."Hot climate, hot koalas: the role of weather, behaviour and disease on thermoregulation".CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 12.1(2024).