DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6q16d
title: Data from: Ambient temperature influences tolerance to plant secondary compounds in a mammalian herbivore

description: Growing evidence suggests that plant secondary compounds (PSCs) ingested
 by mammals become more toxic at elevated ambient temperatures, a
 phenomenon known as temperature-dependent toxicity. We investigated
 temperature-dependent toxicity in the desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida), a
 herbivorous rodent that naturally encounters PSCs in creosote bush (Larrea
 tridentata), which is a major component of its diet. First, we determined
 the maximum dose of creosote resin ingested by woodrats at warm (28–29°C)
 or cool (21–22°C) temperatures. Second, we controlled the daily dose of
 creosote resin ingested at warm, cool and room (25°C) temperatures, and
 measured persistence in feeding trials. At the warm temperature, woodrats
 ingested significantly less creosote resin; their maximum dose was
 two-thirds that of animals at the cool temperature. Moreover, woodrats at
 warm and room temperatures could not persist on the same dose of creosote
 resin as woodrats at the cool temperature. Our findings demonstrate that
 warmer temperatures reduce PSC intake and tolerance in herbivorous
 rodents, highlighting the potentially adverse consequences of
 temperature-dependent toxicity. These results will advance the field of
 herbivore ecology and may hone predictions of mammalian responses to
 climate change.
description: Kurnath et al R script
 expt 1Code written in R to
 analyse data from the first experiment, determining the maximum dose of
 creosote resin in woodrats at two ambient temperatures. Specifically, the
 maximum dose for each individual was compared across temperatures with an
 ANOVA. Intake data was log transformed, averaged across all days in the
 trial per individual, and then ANOVAs were run with Tukey's post-hoc
 tests to determine the effect of temperature.Kurnath et al R script
 expt 2Code written in R to
 analyze data from the second experiment in the study, investigating the
 effect of temperature on the ability of woodrats to persist in a feeding
 trial while ingesting the same daily dose of creosote resin (ie, 0.36 g
 resin/day). There are two main parts to the code. First, we analyzed food
 intake and body mass data from animals at 25 and 29 degC, to determine if
 animals had similar energetic costs at these temperatures. Data was
 analyzed with ANOVAs. Second, we analyzed survival and intake (food and
 resin) from animals at three temperatures. Survival data was analyzed with
 a Kaplan-Meier test, and intake data was analyzed with ANOVAs and
 Tukey's post-doc tests.Maximum Dose for
 Creosote ResinData spreadsheet used
 with "Kurnath et al Experiment 1" code in R, includes maximum
 dose for creosote resin of each individual in the
 study.maxtol.csvDaily Intake Data from Maximum Dose TrialData spreadsheet analyzed by "Kurnath et al Experiment 1" code in R. Each row represents one day of one animal in the feeding trial; there were 16 animals in the trial that lasted 21 days. Columns represent treatment groups (temperature, cool or warm), days in the trial, dietary concentration of creosote resin presented to the animals, body mass, food intake, creosote resin intake, and water intake of the animals during this experiment.maxtol5.csvComparing energetic costs at two temperaturesData spreadsheet analyzed by "Kurnath et al Experiment 2" code in R. Includes food intake and body mass data from animals at either 25degC or 29degC during a 6-day feeding trial.rtdata.csvSurvivalship AnalysisData spreadsheet analyzed by "Kurnath et al Experiment 2" code in R, includes animals at three temperatures and the number of days they persisted in a 10-day feeding trial.R clipboard.xlsxIntake data during Survivalship trialData spreadsheet analyzed by "Kurnath et al Experiment 2" code in R. Includes food intake, creosote resin intake, and body mass of animals at three temperatures during 10-day feeding trial. Each row represents one animal during one day of the trial. Columns represent temperature treatment, dietary concentration of creosote resin presented to animals, food intake, creosote resin intake, and body mass.round3new2.csv