Winter torpor in a large bird

摘要: Torpor is a natural state in which animals show substantial and controlled reduction of body temperature to conserve energy1,2. A few small birds (weighing less than 80 g) are known use it as survival strategy winter, but we have discovered that large bird, the Australian tawny frogmouth, weighs 500 g, can also enter this state. This surprising finding increases size torpor by almost tenfold, suggesting avian more widespread commonly believed, enabling stay their territory throughout year.