Dr Todd McWhorter
Senior Lecturer
School of Animal and Veterinary Science
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
I am an ecological physiologist interested in how vertebrate animals function and how function evolves. As my research program has matured, I’ve become more interested in applied problems. In the past decade my research has focused on the emerging area of conservation physiology and medicine- applying the concepts and methodologies of these fields to pressing problems in conservation of wildlife and biodiversity in general, especially as related to human-induced landscape changes and global climate change. Most recently, my research program has expanded into animal welfare- particularly using physiological and behavioural indicators to study and optimise the welfare of captive wildlife and production animals. My post-graduate research training and the first 15 years of my academic research career focused primarily on the mechanisms of digestion and nutrient absorption, modelling digestive capacity, nutritional ecology, kidney function, and salt and water balance, research areas for which I am internationally most well-known. Much of this work focused on nectar-feeding birds, including New World hummingbirds, Old World sunbirds and Australian honeyeaters, but it also included marine finfish (aquaculture nutrition/gastrointestinal function).
Current research projects include: 1) thermoregulation, heat tolerance, metabolism and heat-related stress responses in wild native Australian birds, 2) the effects of land use changes and habitat fragmentation on bird populations, 3) control of invasive feral predators to protect native wildlife, 4) ecology and conservation of African carnivores, 5) anthropogenic effects on zoo animal welfare, and 6) honeyeater feeding behaviour/biomechanics and pollination biology.
I am always happy to talk to students about potential summer research, honours and PhD projects.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2012 - ongoing Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Physiology University of Adelaide 2009 - 2011 Lecturer in Veterinary Physiology University of Adelaide 2006 - 2008 Postdoctoral Research Fellow Murdoch University 2003 - 2006 Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Wisconsin-Madison -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title University of Arizona United States PhD University of Wyoming United States MSc University of California, Irvine United States BSc -
Research Interests
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Journals
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Book Chapters
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2009 von Dietze, E., Napier, K. R., McWhorter, T. J., & Fleming, P. A. (2009). A welfare approach for captive wild birds. In Australian & New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research & Teaching (ANZCCART) (2009), 28 - 30 July, Port Douglas, Queensland (pp. 33-38). Port Douglas, Queensland. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2020 McWhorter, T. J. (2020). The Karasov effect: functional studies of nutrient absorption in endotherms at the extreme. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Austin, TX: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2020 Tracy, C. R., & Mcwhorter, T. J. (2020). Paracellular absorption in the slow(er) lane: a brief review of reptilian paracellular nutrient absorption. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Austin, TX: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2016 Tracy, C. R., Mcwhorter, T. J., Christian, K. A., Gienger, C. M., Webb, G. J. W., & Manolis, S. C. (2016). Old guts leak less: ontogeny of paracellular absorption of carbohydrates by saltwater crocodiles. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Portland, OR: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2016 Wolf, B. O., Mckechnie, A. E., Mcwhorter, T. J., Gerson, A. R., Smith, E. K., Talbot, W. A., . . . O'Neil, J. J. (2016). Heat stress, climate change, and the thermoregulatory performance of desert birds. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Portland, OR: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2016 McWhorter, T. J. (2016). The Integration of Gastrointestinal and Renal Function in Nectar-Feeding Birds. Poster session presented at the meeting of FASEB JOURNAL. San Diego, CA: FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL. 2015 Wolf, B., McKechnie, A., Gerson, A., Whitfield, M., Smit, B., Talbot, W., . . . McWhorter, T. J. (2015). Avian thermoregulation in the heat: tolerance to heat stress varies greatly among species.. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Physiologist. Bethesda, Maryland: The American Physiological Society. 2015 Gerson, A., Talbot, W., Smith, E., McWhorter, T. J., & Wolf, B. (2015). Heat tolerance of Australian birds: the importance of body size, phylogeny and evaporative pathway. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Physiologist. Bethesda, Maryland: The American Physiological Society. 2015 Hynd, P., Czerwinski, V. H., & Mcwhorter, T. J. (2015). Is propensity to obesity associated with the diurnal pattern of core body temperature?. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), as published in Integrative and Comparative Biology. West Palm Beach, FL: Oxford University Press (OUP).
DOI2015 Tracy, C. R., Mcwhorter, T. J., Gienger, C. M., Starck, J. M., Medley, P., Manolis, S. C., . . . Christian, K. A. (2015). Alligators and crocodiles have high paracellular nutrient absorption, but differ in digestive morphology and physiology. Poster session presented at the meeting of Integrative and Comparative Biology. West Palm Beach, FL: Oxford University Press (OUP).
DOI2015 Napier, K. R., Mcwhorter, T. J., Martinez, D. R. C., & Fleming, P. A. (2015). Mistletoebirds vary their dietary intake of arthropods depending on time of year. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), as published in Integrative and Comparative Biology. West Palm Beach, FL: Oxford University Press (OUP).
DOI2013 Mcwhorter, T., Schondube, J., Nicolson, S., Pinshow, B., Fleming, P., & Martinez Del Rio, C. (2013). Convergence in digestive capacity in nectar-feeding birds. Poster session presented at the meeting of Integrative and Comparative Biology. San Francisco, CA: Oxford University Press (OUP). 2012 Napier, K., Mcwhorter, T., Del Rio, M., & Fleming, P. (2012). A comparison of pharmacokinetic methods for in vivo studies of non-mediated glucose absorption. Poster session presented at the meeting of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Charleston, SC: Oxford University Press (OUP). 2012 Napier, K. R., Xie, S., Mcwhorter, T. J., Nicolson, S. W., Martinez Del Rio, C., & Fleming, P. A. (2012). Can sugar preferences in Australian birds be explained by behaviour or physiology?. Poster session presented at the meeting of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Charleston, SC: Oxford University Press (OUP). 2007 Tracy, C. R., McWhorter, T. J., Manolis, C. S., Webb, G. J., & Christian, K. A. (2007). Digestive physiological differences between alligators and crocodiles: Are crocodilians just meat eaters?. Poster session presented at the meeting of Integrative and Comparative Biology. Oxford University Press (OUP).
DOI2006 Wojciechowski, M. S., Tracy, C. R., McWhorter, T. J., Yosef, R., Karasov, W. H., & Pinshow, B. (2006). Blackcaps at migratory stopovers compensate for reduced gut with increased paracellular nutrient uptake. Poster session presented at the meeting of JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY. SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. 2006 McWhorter, T. J., & Karasov, W. H. (2006). Paracellular solute absorption varies with body size in primates. Poster session presented at the meeting of FASEB JOURNAL. San Francisco, CA: FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL.
WoS12006 Karasov, W. H., McWhorter, T. J., & Caviedes-Vidal, E. (2006). Phylogenetic and body size patterns in intestinal paracellular solute absorption. Poster session presented at the meeting of FASEB JOURNAL. San Francisco, CA: FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL.
WoS12006 McWhorter, T. J. (2006). The new physiological ecology of nectar-feeding birds. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Physiologist. 2005 Tracy, C. R., McWhorter, T. J., Korine, C., Pinshow, B., & Karasov, W. H. (2005). A mystery solved: How the egyptian fruit bat absorbs sugar. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Orlando, FL: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2005 McWhorter, T. J., Hartman Bakken, B., Karasov, W. H., & Martinez Del Rio, C. (2005). Hummingbirds fuel high metabolism with both paracellular and carrier-mediated intestinal glucose absorption. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Orlando, FL: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2005 Tracy, C. R., McWhorter, T. J., Wojciechowski, M. S., Korine, C., Karasov, W. H., & Pinshow, B. (2005). Relatively low paracellular absorption in a reptile, the Egyptian mastigure, <i>Uromastyx aegyptius</i>. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Orlando, FL: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2005 Tracy, C. R., Wojciechowski, M. S., McWhorter, T. J., Yosef, R., Karasov, W. H., & Pinshow, B. (2005). Carbohydrate absorption in migrating blackcaps, upon arrival and after refeeding, at a stopover in southern Israel. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Orlando, FL: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2005 McWhorter, T. J., Karasov, W. H., & Green, A. K. (2005). How the American robin absorbs glucose. Poster session presented at the meeting of FASEB JOURNAL. San Diego, CA: FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL.
WoS22005 Lavin, S. R., McWhorter, T. J., & Karasov, W. H. (2005). Differences in paracellular absorption: A function of solvent drag or pore size?. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. Orlando, FL: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2004 Lavin, S. R., McWhorter, T. J., & Karasov, W. H. (2004). Do birds exhibit greater paracellular absorption than mammals?. Poster session presented at the meeting of Integrative and Comparative Biology. 2004 Mcwhorter, T. J., Karasov, W. H., & Green, A. K. (2004). How the American robin absorbs glucose. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. San Diego, CA: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC.
WoS22003 Rummel, T. D., Kimberly, D. J., Powers, D. R., & McWhorter, T. J. (2003). Functional and morphological comparison of Hummingbird and Sunbird digestive tracts. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. New Orleans, LA: SOC INTEGRATIVE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY.
WoS12003 McWhorter, T. J., Bakken, B. H., Tsahar, E., & Del Rio, C. M. (2003). Renal function in nectar-feeding birds: Hummingbirds turn off the faucet at night. Poster session presented at the meeting of INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. New Orleans, LA: SOC INTEGRATIVE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. 2002 McWhorter, T. J., Martinez del Rio, C., & Pinshow, B. (2002). Osmoregulation in avian nectarivores- an integrative approach. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Physiologist. 2002 van Tets, I. G., Green, A. K., McWhorter, T. J., & Pinshow, B. (2002). Sugar preferences and enzyme activities in a frugivorous bird, the yellow-vented bulbul. Poster session presented at the meeting of The Physiologist. 2001 Powers, D. R., McWhorter, T. J., Kimberly, D. J., Baker, T. L., & Thornburg, K. L. (2001). Characterization and distribution of aquaporin water channels in the hummingbird gastrointestinal tract.. Poster session presented at the meeting of AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST. SOC INTEGRATIVE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. 2001 McWhorter, T. J., Del Rio, C. M., & Pinshow, B. (2001). Osmoregulation in avian nectarivores - an integrative approach.. Poster session presented at the meeting of AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST. SOC INTEGRATIVE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY.
WoS21999 Del Rio, C. M., Herrera, L. G., McWhorter, T. J., & Schondube, J. E. (1999). Intake responses in nectarivores: Digestive and metabolic causes and osmoregulatory consquences.. Poster session presented at the meeting of AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST. SOC INTEGRATIVE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. 1999 McWhorter, T. J., Powers, D. R., & Miller, N. (1999). Ammonotely and nitrogen excretion in three sympatric hummingbird species.. Poster session presented at the meeting of AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST. SOC INTEGRATIVE COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY. 1998 Martínez del Rio, C., & McWhorter, T. J. (1998). Hummingbirds and chemical reactors: test of a gut function model. Poster session presented at the meeting of American Zoologist. 1998 McWhorter, T. J. (1998). How much dietary water do hummingbirds absorb?. Poster session presented at the meeting of American Zoologist. 1997 McWhorter, T. J., & Martínez del Rio, C. (1997). Effects of diet and ambient temperature: nutrient assimilation in hummingbirds. Poster session presented at the meeting of Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America.
External direct research funding: ~$3.04 M AUD career total (~$1.44 M AUD in the last 5 years)
Major recent external direct grants:
2025-2028 ARC Discovery (DP250103176). Collaboration with K. Moseby (UNSW, admin org), T. Fleming (Murdoch), S. Trewick (Massey), C. Eason (Lincoln University). $892,451 AUD.
2024-2025 AlzChem Trostberg GmbH (6019519). Collaboration with AlzChem Corporation (V. Inhuber), R. Forder, W. van Wettere. $73,590 AUD.
2022-2025 MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACIÓN- Spain (PID2021-128494NA-I00). Collaboration with M. Mariette & A.E. McKechnie. 269,358 Euros (~$471,376 AUD). Administered externally in Spain (not listed on IAP).
Leveraged funding: Includes external projects where I am not a named investigator- e.g. Kingfish for Profit aquaculture grant to South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), which funded co-supervised PhD student Crowe or where operating or research funds of external organisations cover expenses (NGOs and zoos). Career total: estimated ~$2.64M AUD.
Internal direct research funding: ~$123,500 AUD career total ($49,500 last 5 years) including PhD student operating funds, internal SAVS seed & collaboration grants and consulting funds. The largest recent internal direct grant was:
2021-2022 Digi+FAME grant scheme- Which cat is that? Application of Machine Learning algorithms to identification of individual feral cats from camera trap data (collaboration with Prof. Ian Reid of AIML $20,000 AUD)
Teaching Interests
Veterinary physiology, comparative physiology, vertebrate physiological ecology, environmental physiology, nutrition, conservation physiology.
I am currently the course coordinator for Veterinary Anatomy & Physiology III (VET SC 3520 A/BRW) taken by our 3rd year Veterinary Bioscience undergraduates. Any queries or administrative matters regarding this course should be directed to me.
I also teach into Veterinary Anatomy & Physiology II, Physiology for Veterinary Technologists I and Comparative Animal Anatomy & Physiology IIA/B.
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2025 Principal Supervisor Application of a wildlife population health framework to a native marsupial in regional Tasmania Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alexandria Frances Bullen 2024 Co-Supervisor How can veterinary intervention and stakeholder collaboration improve cat management in resource-constrained rural communities? Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Dr Megan Heather Ann Pickering 2024 Co-Supervisor Examining Animal Introductions and Other Social Factors on Captive Gorilla Welfare Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Claudia Martinez 2024 Co-Supervisor Efficacy of training and enrichment to improve welfare: How can animal training be applied across settings to help animals live a good life? Examining the physiological and behavioural effects of scent work for domestic dogs Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Jade Fountain 2024 Co-Supervisor Exploring Interactive and Technological Enrichment in Zoos Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Lesia Marie Hryhorenko 2024 Principal Supervisor Stimulating natural foraging through food-based enrichment in captive animals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Aamer Sohel Khan 2024 Principal Supervisor The effects of choice, control, and cognitive challenge on the welfare of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Kelli Marie Rust 2021 Principal Supervisor Anthropogenic Effects on Zoo Animal Welfare Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Claudia Pei Pei Tay -
Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2020 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Challenges in Developing and Testing Novel Control Techniques for Feral Cats Felis catus. Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Ned Levi Ryan-Schofield 2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Understanding lipid utilisation in large (>2 kg) Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Samantha Naomi Chown 2015 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Thermoregulation in exercising horses: Aspects of temperature monitoring during field exercise Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Part Time Dr Lidwien Verdegaal 2015 - 2024 Principal Supervisor The ecology and conservation significance of African leopards (Panthera pardus pardus) on Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, South Africa. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Declan Robert Morris 2013 - 2018 Principal Supervisor The Physiology and Pathology of Heat Stress in Australian Desert Birds Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Shangzhe Xie
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