澳大利亚研究人员最近通过田野调查发现，在帮助小型哺乳动物度过寒冬方面，蛰伏可能同冬眠一样重要。蛰伏能将动物的能量消耗减少90%，推翻了以前实验室得出的只能将能量消耗减少30%的结论。该研究1月5日发表在《自然科学》（Naturwissenschaften）杂志上。
蛰伏是一种介于睡觉和完全冬眠之间的状态，在此期间，动物的身体温度明显下降。此前的实验室观察认为，日常蛰伏只能将能量使用降低30%，蛰伏不过是一种破釜沉舟的保存能量技术，野生动物很少会使用。
研究人员在8个长尾袋鼩上安装了配备无线电广播发射机的温度计，以测定动物们的蛰伏情况，研究为时4周。结果发现，长尾袋鼩几乎每晚都会蛰伏，蛰伏的时间和深度取决于气温———在最寒冷的夜晚，蛰伏时间最长的动物，体温最低。总的来说，它们平均每天蛰伏11个小时，是实验室数据的2倍。
研究人员计算发现，通过日常蛰伏，长尾袋鼩能够将能量消耗减少90%，与通过冬眠降低的能量相当。该项研究证明，以前的实验室观察严重低估了在野外的观察结果，是否其它动物也依赖蛰伏来过冬还需要进一步研究。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
Naturwissenschaften，doi：10.1007/s00114-008-0492-7，Gerhard K?rtner，Fritz Geiser
The key to winter survival: daily torpor in a small arid-zone marsupial
Gerhard K?rtner1 and Fritz Geiser1, 2
(1)Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
(2)Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
Abstract Mammalian hibernation, which lasts on average for about 6 months, can reduce energy expenditure by >90% in comparison to active individuals. In contrast, the widely held view is that daily torpor reduces energy expenditure usually by about 30%, is employed for a few hours every few days, and often occurs only under acute energetic stress. This interpretation is largely based on laboratory studies, whereas knowledge on daily torpor in the field is scant. We used temperature telemetry to quantify thermal biology and activity patterns of a small arid-zone marsupial, the stripe-faced dunnart Sminthopsis macroura (16.9 g), in the wild and to test the hypothesis that daily torpor is a crucial survival strategy of this species in winter. All individuals entered torpor daily with the exception of a single male that remained normothermic for a single day (torpor on 212 of 213 observation days, 99.5%). Torpor was employed at air temperatures (T a) ranging from approximately ?1°C to 36°C. Dunnarts usually entered torpor during the night and aroused at midday with the daily increase of T a. Torpor was on average about twice as long (mean 11.0?±?4.7 h, n?=?8) than in captivity. Animals employed sun basking during rewarming, reduced foraging time significantly, and occasionally omitted activity for several days in sequence. Consequently, we estimate that daily torpor in this species can reduce daily energy expenditure by up to 90%. Our study shows that for wild stripe-faced dunnarts daily torpor is an essential mechanism for overcoming energetic challenges during winter and that torpor data obtained in the laboratory can substantially underestimate the ecological significance of daily torpor in the wild.
