Climate warming drives a temperate-zone lizard to its upper thermal limits, restricting activity, and increasing energetic costs.

Lizards are considered vulnerable to climate change because many operate near their thermal maxima. Exposure to higher temperatures could reduce activity of these animals by forcing them to shelter in thermal refugia for prolonged periods to avoid exceeding lethal limits. While rising temperatures should reduce activity in tropical species, the situation is less clear for temperate-zone species where activity can be constrained by both low and high temperatures. Here, we measure the effects of natural variation in environmental temperatures on activity in a temperate grassland lizard and show that it is operating near its upper thermal limit in summer even when sheltering in thermal refuges. As air temperatures increased above 32 °C, lizard activity declined markedly as individuals sought refuge in cool microhabitats while still incurring substantial metabolic costs. We estimate that warming over the last two decades has required these lizards to increase their energy intake up to 40% to offset metabolic losses caused by rising temperatures. Our results show that recent increases in temperature are sufficient to exceed the thermal and metabolic limits of temperate-zone grassland lizards. Extended periods of high temperatures could place natural populations of ectotherms under significantly increased environmental stress and contribute to population declines and extinction.

Prey availability affects daily torpor by free-ranging Australian owlet-nightjars (Aegotheles cristatus).

Food availability, ambient temperatures (T(a)), and prevailing weather conditions have long been presumed to influence torpor use. To a large extent, this is based on measurements in the laboratory of animals placed on restricted diets and kept at low T (a). Information on the determinants of torpor employment in the field is limited. We assessed winter torpor by insectivorous, free-ranging Australian owlet-nightjars (Aegotheles cristatus; 22 birds, 834 bird-days over six winters). Birds in three habitats were investigated to test whether torpor use is affected by annual T(a), rainfall, and arthropod abundance. Owlet-nightjars entered daily torpor regularly at all sites. Torpor frequency, depth and bout duration were greatest during two periods with lower arthropod abundance, providing rare evidence of the link between food availability and torpor patterns of wild birds. Temporal organization of torpor was similar among sites, and nocturnal torpor was more frequent than previously reported. Our findings quantitatively demonstrate that reduced food resources affect torpor usage independently from T(a), and support the view that food availability is a primary ecological determinant of torpor use in the wild.

Roost type influences torpor use by Australian owlet-nightjars.

Australian owlet-nightjars (Aegotheles cristatus; ∼50 g) are one of only a few avian species that roost in cavities year-round and regularly enter torpor. Cavity roosts act as thermal buffers, and roost type likely affects energy expenditure of small birds. We used radiotelemetry to locate diurnal winter roost sites of owlet-nightjars in central Australia and to measure body (T (b)) and skin (T (skin)) temperature. We also recorded ambient temperature inside (T (IN)) and outside roosts. Individual owlet-nightjars used one to seven different roosts (tracking time 3-10 weeks), selecting either rock crevices (four birds) or tree hollows (four birds), or switching between the two roost types (seven birds). Rock crevices (T (IN) +9°C to +33°C) were warmer and thermally more stable than tree hollows (T (IN) -4.0°C to +37°C). Torpor, often expressed by a reduction of T (skin)/T (b) by >10°C for 3-4 h at dawn, was influenced by roost selection; torpor use in tree hollows was almost twice that in rock crevices. Despite the potential energy savings accrued from roosting in well-insulated cavities, owlet-nightjars roosted in tree hollows more often (65% bird days, n = 398) than in rock crevices (35% bird days, n = 211). Lower costs of arousal from torpor via passive rewarming and basking and decreased risk of predation are two possible explanations for the preference to roost in tree hollows. We provide the first evidence for the influence of cavity roost selection on torpor use in a free-ranging bird and show that roost selection and thermal biology are strongly interrelated in determining energy expenditure.

Seasonal variation in thermal energetics of the Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus).

Many birds living in regions with seasonal fluctuations in ambient temperatures (T(a)) typically respond to cold by increasing insulation and adjusting metabolic rate. Seasonal variation in thermal physiology has not been studied for the Caprimulgiformes, an order of birds that generally have basal metabolic rates (BMR) lower than predicted for their body mass. We measured the metabolic rate and thermal conductance of Australian owlet-nightjars (Aegotheles cristatus) during summer and winter using open-flow respirometry. Within the thermoneutral zone (TNZ; 31.3 to 34.8 degrees C), there was no seasonal difference in BMR or thermal conductance (C), but body temperature was higher in summer- (38.2+/-0.3 degrees C) than winter-acclimatized (37.1+/-0.5 degrees C) birds. Below the TNZ, resting metabolic rate (RMR) increased linearly with decreasing T(a), and RMR and C were higher for summer- than winter-acclimatized birds. The mean mass-specific BMR of owlet-nightjars (1.27 mL O(2) g(-1) h(-1)) was close to the allometrically predicted value for a 45 g Caprimulgiformes, but well below that predicted for birds overall. These results suggest that owlet-nightjars increase plumage insulation to cope with low winter T(a), which is reflected in the seasonal difference in RMR and C below the TNZ, rather than adjusting BMR.

A micro-dilution method for detecting oxytetracycline-resistant bacteria in marine sediments from salmon and mussel aquaculture sites and an urbanized harbour in Atlantic Canada.

A micro-dilution technique with changes in optical density (OD) used to measure bacterial growth over 72 h in culture media containing 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 microg OTC (oxytetracycline)ml(-1) was applied to determine growth inhibition (GI) in mixed bacterial strains cultured from samples of marine sediments and salmon feed pellets. Growth of control cultures (Aeromonas salmonicida) was inhibited at all OTC concentrations. Some feed pellet samples and under-cage sediments from salmon aquaculture sites in the Bay of Fundy showed GI up to > or = 160 microg OTCml(-1). Lower values (40 to 80 microg OTC ml(-1)) occurred in subsurface (5-18 cm) sediments, > 100 m from salmon pens and adjacent to sewage outfalls in Halifax Harbour. GI values < 20 microg OTC ml(-1) in sediment from reference locations in Halifax Harbour and mussel aquaculture sites are considered to reflect natural background levels for OTC resistance.