The secret life of ground squirrels: accelerometry reveals sex-dependent plasticity in above-ground activity.

ABSTRACT: The sexes differ in how and when they allocate energy towards reproduction, but how this influences phenotypic plasticity in daily activity patterns is unclear. Here, we use collar-mounted light loggers and triaxial accelerometers to examine factors that affect time spent above ground and overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA), an index of activity-specific energy expenditure, across the active season of free-living, semi-fossorial arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii). We found high day-to-day variability in time spent above ground and ODBA with most of the variance explained by environmental conditions known to affect thermal exchange. In both years, females spent more time below ground compared with males during parturition and early lactation; however, this difference

SUBMITTER: Williams CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5043325 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature