侏儒负鼠冬眠时能感知危险
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2016-08-23 08:40 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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What happens to hibernating1 or torpid2 animals when a bushfire rages? Are they able to sense danger and wake up from their energy-saving sleep to move to safety? Yes, says Julia Nowack of the University of New England in Australia, lead author of a study in Springer's journal The Science of Nature about the reaction of pygmy-possums in such instances. The study is the first to investigate in detail the physical response of hibernating animals to smoke and fire. Pygmy-possums (Cercartetus nanus) live in trees mainly along the south-east coast of Australia. These small and agile3 nocturnal marsupials use their tails to grasp onto branches while moving about, and are even able to climb up their own tails. 
 
Nowack's team conducted tests under laboratory conditions on five eastern pygmy-possums while they were experiencing torpor4. During this state of inactivity and metabolic5 rest, the animals do not need food, their body temperatures drop and they experience periods of deep dormancy6 that can go on for up to a month at a time. In possums, these energy-saving events are not linked to specific seasons, and can occur year-round. In nature, they stay put in a nest of bark and leaves in tree hollows, underground or in bird nests. This puts these creatures at risk of falling victim to prescribed burns during winter, but also during the summer wildfires that are increasing in frequency in Australia because of climate change.
 
It was found that pygmy-possums are able to pick up the smell of smoke while experiencing torpor, but that their subsequent responses are temperature dependent. No movements were observed when the outdoor temperature stood at a cold 10 degrees Celsius7 and the possums had a low body temperature. By 15 degrees Celsius, the three males in the study aroused enough to start moving, while the two females still only lifted their heads. The animals' body temperature also played a role for their ability to move. When their body temperature was around 24 degrees Celsius, the pygmy-possums were able to perform advanced moves such as climbing up their tails. A drop of their body temperatures to below 13 degrees Celsius, caused their reactions and movements to be extremely slow and very basic.
 
The study is the first to show that animals are able to smell while in torpor. The results are particularly important in light of expected increases in the frequency of fires due to climate change. It also has implications concerning the implementation8 of prescribed burns during the colder months of the year. In many areas where bushfires occur regularly during summer, such as in Australia, prescribed burns are conducted in winter to reduce the amount of flammable plant material during the warmer months and to help maintain a healthy ecosystem9.


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1 hibernating f80b5172f3c99212dfddbaaa9b2be0c3     
(某些动物)冬眠,蛰伏( hibernate的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The hibernating animals reduce movement to far below the ordinary level. 冬眠的动物把活动量大大减少到低于一般的水平。
  • People find hibernating animals asleep. 人们发现冬眠动物处于休眠状态。
2 torpid hq2yQ     
adj.麻痹的,麻木的,迟钝的
参考例句:
  • He just walked and his mind drifted slowly like a torpid stream.他只是埋头走,脑袋里思想都凝滞了,有如一汪流不动的溪水。
  • Even when he was awake he was completely torpid.他醒着的时候也完全麻木不动。
3 agile Ix2za     
adj.敏捷的,灵活的
参考例句:
  • She is such an agile dancer!她跳起舞来是那么灵巧!
  • An acrobat has to be agile.杂技演员必须身手敏捷。
4 torpor CGsyG     
n.迟钝;麻木;(动物的)冬眠
参考例句:
  • The sick person gradually falls into a torpor.病人逐渐变得迟钝。
  • He fell into a deep torpor.他一下子进入了深度麻痹状态。
5 metabolic 2R4z1     
adj.新陈代谢的
参考例句:
  • Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
  • A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。
6 dormancy 9c7eb5512211f4cd18877be97c85655b     
n.睡眠,冬眠,隐匿
参考例句:
  • During dormancy the plants must be kept very dry. 在休眠期,植物必须保持非常干燥。 来自辞典例句
  • It may also come to the point of virtual dormancy. 它也可以达到实际上的潜伏状态。 来自辞典例句
7 Celsius AXRzl     
adj.摄氏温度计的,摄氏的
参考例句:
  • The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
  • The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。
8 implementation 2awxV     
n.实施,贯彻
参考例句:
  • Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。
9 ecosystem Wq4xz     
n.生态系统
参考例句:
  • This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
  • We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。
TAG标签: smoke animals danger
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