Hibernation nest site selection but not overwinter activity is associated with microclimatic conditions in a hibernating mammal

Abstract

Fine-scale variation in microclimates between habitats may impact energy consumption for the organisms that inhabit them. This may be particularly important for sedentary species or those unable to change habitats for long periods, such as hibernators. Low ambient temperatures were traditionally thought key to microclimatic selection for hibernation locations, but recent research suggests that other factors may contribute or exceed ambient temperature in importance. We aimed to characterise microclimates at hibernacula of wild hibernating hazel dormice Muscardinus avellanarius, and test how these microclimates differ to those at locations without hibernacula using a microclimatic modelling approach. Dormice hibernated in areas with warmer soil temperatures and lower variability in humidity and relative shortwave radiation. These results add to the growing body of evidence that low ambient temperatures may not be the primary driver of hibernation microclimate selection, although temperature is still likely to play an important role. We also found that ambient temperatures measured at the microclimatic level were substantially buffered compared to point samples taken at the nearest weather station (∼1.6 km away), highlighting the importance of considering microclimates in wildlife conservation in the face of future environmental change.