Effects of food store quality on hibernation performance in common hamsters.

摘要: Hibernating animals can adjust torpor expression according to available energy reserves. Besides the quantity, quality of reserves could play an important role for overwintering strategies. Common hamsters are food-storing hibernators and show high individual variation in hibernation performance, which might be related food hoards hibernacula. In this study, we tested effects stores fat content, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), on patterns under laboratory conditions. Control received standard rodent pellets only, while other group were supplemented with sunflower seeds. We recorded body temperature during winter using subcutaneously implanted data loggers, documented total consumption winter, analysed PUFA proportions white adipose tissue (WAT) before after period. About half individuals both groups hibernated did not differ between these animals. Among high-fat group, however, seeds intake strongly reduced time spent deep torpor. WAT decreased decline was positively Sunflower dampened resulting higher levels winter. conclusion, our results showed that common adjusted relation reserves, underlining importance hoard performance.