At what approximate external ambient temperature do modern desert woodrats generally initiate activity based on logger data?
Answer
Around $41^ ext{C}$
The modern survival strategy for desert woodrats like *N. lepida* involves strict temporal partitioning of activity due to extreme daytime heat. Miniature temperature loggers placed inside their dens reveal that woodrats exhibit behavioral restraint until the external ambient temperature drops significantly. Activity, necessary for foraging water-laden vegetation and mating, is initiated only once the external temperature falls below the animal's physiological thermal limit, which is typically recorded as being around $41^ ext{C}$.
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