Immune response of bats kept at different conditions of food availability and ambient temperature

What is it about?

Resilience of mammals to anthropogenic climate and land-use changes is associated with the maintenance of adequate responses of several fitness-related traits such as those related to immune functions. Isolated and combined effects of decreased food availability and increased ambient temperature can lead to immunosuppression and greater susceptibility to disease. Our study tested the general hypothesis that decreased food availability, increased ambient temperature and the combined effect of both factors would affect selected physiological and behavioral components associated with the innate immune system of fruit-eating bats (Carollia perspicillata).

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Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

Photo by Clément Falize on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Resilience of mammals to anthropogenic climate and land-use changes is associated with the maintenance of adequate responses of several fitness-related traits such as those related to immune functions. The maintenance of an adequate immune response is crucial to monitor and respond to threats associated with global warming and land-use changes and, thus, are pivotal to maintain physiological homeostasis. Furthermore, how the immune system will cope with the exposure to new pathogens that likely will occur with global changes, might affect the interaction between wildlife hosts and pathogens and, thus, can impact the dissemination of emerging diseases and zoonoses

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