Daily torpor reduces the energetic consequences of microhabitat selection for a widespread bat.

Homeothermy requires increased metabolic rates as temperatures decline below the thermoneutral zone, so homeotherms typically select microhabitats within or near their thermoneutral zones during periods of inactivity. However, many mammals and birds are heterotherms that relax internal controls on body temperature and go into torpor when maintaining a high, stable body temperature, which is energetically costly. Such heterotherms should be less tied to microhabitats near their thermoneutral zones and, because heterotherms spend more time in torpor and expend less energy at colder temperatures, heterotherms may even select microhabitats in which temperatures are well below their thermoneutral zones.

Using dermal glucocorticoids to determine the effects of disease and environment on the critically endangered Wyoming toad.

Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, and increased exposure to environmental stressors, including global climate change and pathogens like (), may be contributing to this decline. Our goal was to use a novel dermal swabbing method to measure glucocorticoid (GC) hormones and investigate the relationship among disease and environmental conditions in the critically endangered Wyoming toad (). Our objectives were to (i) validate the use of dermal swabs to measure GCs using an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge on eight captive toads (4 ACTH: 2 M, 2F and 4 saline as a control: 2 M, 2F), (ii) investigate stress physiology and disease status of toads across six reintroduction sites and (iii) compare dermal cortisol between reintroduced and captive toads.

Identifying Holes in the Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Umbrella.

The umbrella species concept, wherein multiple species are indirectly protected under the umbrella of a reserve created for one, is intended to enhance conservation efficiency. Although appealing in theory and common in practice, empirical tests of the concept have been scarce. We used a real-world, semi-protected reserve established to protect a high-profile umbrella species (greater sage-grouse []) to investigate 2 potential mechanisms underlying the concept's successful application: reserve size and species similarity.

Modeling the distribution of migratory bird stopovers to inform landscape-scale siting of wind development.

Conservation of migratory birds requires understanding the distribution of and potential threats to their migratory habitats. However, although migratory birds are protected under international treaties, few maps have been available to represent migration at a landscape scale useful to target conservation efforts or inform the siting of wind energy developments that may affect migratory birds. To fill this gap, we developed models that predict where four groups of birds concentrate or stopover during their migration through the state of Wyoming, USA: raptors, wetland, riparian and sparse grassland birds.