Energetics and Behavioral Ecology of Subterranean Mammals

Subterranean mammals, notably burrowing rodents such as mole-rats and tuco-tucos, occupy an energetically demanding niche characterised by hypoxic, humid and thermally buffered environments. Excavation imposes high metabolic costs, while restricted airflow and minimal external appendages demand specialised thermoregulatory and water-conservation strategies. Species exhibit remarkably low resting metabolic rates and moderated energy turnover relative to above-ground counterparts, offset by behavioural adaptations such as altered activity patterns, social huddling and selective use of thermal windows. Burrow architecture and foraging movements reflect a balance between energy expenditure and resource acquisition, with social species often sharing the energetic burden of tunnel maintenance. Recent work has emphasised the interaction between physiological constraints and group living, showing that social organisation can mitigate individual energy demands and water loss. As ecosystem engineers, these mammals influence soil dynamics and vegetation patterns, and their sensitivity to climate shifts offers insights into resilience under increasing aridity. Understanding their energy budgets and behaviour not only enriches ecological theory but also informs conservation measures for subterranean fauna facing habitat alteration and warming trends.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have used infrared thermography to map heat exchange in seven subterranean-rodent species differing in social structure. Results reveal that the ventral body surface serves as a primary thermal window, with the feet supplementing heat loss at higher ambient temperatures and conserving warmth when it is cool. Social species dissipate more heat overall than solitary species at low temperatures, suggesting that group-living individuals rely on behavioural modulation of surface temperature to maintain homeostasis. The homogeneity of ventral thermal patterns in social species contrasts with the greater heterogeneity seen in solitary ones, highlighting how sociality shapes thermoregulatory strategies. These findings advance our understanding of how subterranean mammals balance the demands of excavation with the need to avoid overheating in confined burrows.

Energetics and Behavioral Ecology of Subterranean Mammals publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in energetics and behavioral ecology of subterranean mammals across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Daily energy expenditure (DEE): Total metabolic energy used by an animal in a 24-hour period.

Resting metabolic rate (RMR): Rate of energy consumption by an organism at rest in a thermoneutral environment.

Sustained metabolic scope (SusMS): Ratio of maximum sustainable metabolic rate to resting metabolic rate, indicating aerobic capacity.

Thermal window: Body region with reduced insulation that preferentially dissipates or conserves heat.

Oxidative stress index (OSI): Ratio of total oxidant status to total antioxidant capacity, reflecting balance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants.

References

1. Heat dissipation in subterranean rodents: the role of body region and social organisation. Scientific Reports (2021).
2. Energetics and Water Flux in the Subterranean Rodent Family Bathyergidae. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2022).
3. Tissue Oxidative Ecology along an Aridity Gradient in a Mammalian Subterranean Species. Antioxidants (2022).
4. Dynamic changes in the home range of the subterranean rodent Myospalax baileyi. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2022).