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Research
Accelerometer informed time-energy budgets reveal the importance of temperature to the activity of a wild, arid zone canid
Jack Tatler
School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8380-3612
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Movement is the major contributor to active energy expenditure in most vertebrates and it is regularly characterised by body acceleration that can be captured by animal-attached accelerometers (ACC). Overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) is a metric derived from ACC data, which can be used as a proxy for energy expenditure over fine time scales.
Methods
Here, we used ACC and GPS data collected from free-ranging dingoes in central Australia to investigate their activity-specific energetics, and activity patterns through time and space. We classified dingo activity into stationary, walking, and running behaviours, and estimated daily energy expenditure via activity-specific time-energy budgets. We tested whether dingoes behaviourally thermoregulate by modelling ODBA as a function of ambient temperature (Ta) during the day and night. We used traditional distance measurements (GPS) as well as fine-scale activity (ODBA) data to assess their daily movement patterns.
Results
We retrieved ACC and GPS data from seven dingoes. Their mass-specific daily energy expenditure was significantly lower in summer (288 kJ kg-1 day-1) than winter (495 kJ kg-1 day-1; p = 0.03). Overall, dingoes were much less active during summer where 91% of their day was spent stationary in contrast to just 46% during winter. There was a sharp decrease in ODBA with increasing ambient temperature during the day (R2 = 0.59), whereas ODBA increased with increasing Ta at night (R2 = 0.39). Distance and ODBA were positively correlated (R = 0.65) and produced similar crepuscular patterns of activity.
Conclusion
Our results indicated solar radiation and ambient temperature drove the behaviour of dingoes. Seasonal differences of daily energy expenditure (DEE) in free-ranging eutherian mammals have been found in several species, though this was the first time it has been observed in a wild canid. The negative relationship between dingo activity (ODBA) and Ta during the day implies that high heat gain from solar radiation is a factor limiting diurnal dingo activity in an arid environment.
Keywords
behaviour, dingo, energetic landscape, energy expenditure, ODBA, temperature, time-energy budget
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CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 18 Dec, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #2 received
Received 16 Jan, 2021
Review #3 received
Received 14 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 27 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 27 Dec, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 24 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Dec, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 19 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 19 Dec, 2020
Editor assigned
On 12 Dec, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 12 Dec, 2020
Editor invited
On 12 Dec, 2020
First submitted
On 11 Dec, 2020
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This preprint is under consideration at Movement Ecology. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research
Accelerometer informed time-energy budgets reveal the importance of temperature to the activity of a wild, arid zone canid
Jack Tatler
School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8380-3612
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 18 Dec, 2020
No community comments so far
Review #2 received
Received 16 Jan, 2021
Review #3 received
Received 14 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #4 agreed
On 27 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 27 Dec, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 24 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 21 Dec, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 19 Dec, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 19 Dec, 2020
Editor assigned
On 12 Dec, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 12 Dec, 2020
Editor invited
On 12 Dec, 2020
First submitted
On 11 Dec, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Movement is the major contributor to active energy expenditure in most vertebrates and it is regularly characterised by body acceleration that can be captured by animal-attached accelerometers (ACC). Overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) is a metric derived from ACC data, which can be used as a proxy for energy expenditure over fine time scales.
Methods
Here, we used ACC and GPS data collected from free-ranging dingoes in central Australia to investigate their activity-specific energetics, and activity patterns through time and space. We classified dingo activity into stationary, walking, and running behaviours, and estimated daily energy expenditure via activity-specific time-energy budgets. We tested whether dingoes behaviourally thermoregulate by modelling ODBA as a function of ambient temperature (Ta) during the day and night. We used traditional distance measurements (GPS) as well as fine-scale activity (ODBA) data to assess their daily movement patterns.
Results
We retrieved ACC and GPS data from seven dingoes. Their mass-specific daily energy expenditure was significantly lower in summer (288 kJ kg-1 day-1) than winter (495 kJ kg-1 day-1; p = 0.03). Overall, dingoes were much less active during summer where 91% of their day was spent stationary in contrast to just 46% during winter. There was a sharp decrease in ODBA with increasing ambient temperature during the day (R2 = 0.59), whereas ODBA increased with increasing Ta at night (R2 = 0.39). Distance and ODBA were positively correlated (R = 0.65) and produced similar crepuscular patterns of activity.
Conclusion
Our results indicated solar radiation and ambient temperature drove the behaviour of dingoes. Seasonal differences of daily energy expenditure (DEE) in free-ranging eutherian mammals have been found in several species, though this was the first time it has been observed in a wild canid. The negative relationship between dingo activity (ODBA) and Ta during the day implies that high heat gain from solar radiation is a factor limiting diurnal dingo activity in an arid environment.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1
Due to technical limitations, full-text HTML conversion of this manuscript could not be completed. However, the manuscript can be downloaded and accessed as a PDF.