Flickering body temperature anticipates criticality in hibernation dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Hibernation has been selected for increasing survival in harsh climatic environments. Seasonal variability in temperature may push the body temperatures of hibernating animals across boundaries of alternative states between euthermic temperature and torpor temperature, typical of either hibernation or summer dormancy. Nowadays, wearable electronics present a promising avenue to assess the occurrence of criticality in physiological systems, such as body temperature fluctuating between attractors of activity and hibernation. For this purpose, we deployed temperature loggers on two hibernating edible dormice for an entire year and under Mediterranean climate conditions. Highly stochastic body temperatures with sudden switches over time allowed us to assess the reliability of statistical leadi

SUBMITTER: Oro D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7890501 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature