Respiratory metabolism and body water turnover rates of Perognathus formosus in its natural environment

Mullen, Robert K.

doi:10.1016/0010-406x(70)90939-4

Cited by 98 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These authors measured a ratio of 0·049 for Dipodomys merriami at a time when this heteromyid desert rodent was consuming a diet of 99% seeds. Furthermore, a ratio of 0·045 was determined for Perognathus formosus (Mullen 1970), a small (body mass = 16·3 g) heteromyid which is restricted to arid regions (Schmidley, Wilkens & Derr 1993) and forages mainly for seeds.…”

Section: Water Influx To Field Metabolic Rate Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Body size, granivory and seasonal dietary shifts in desert gerbilline rodents

et al. 1997

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. Desert gerbilline rodents consume mainly plant material, in particular seeds. However, seeds are less available following winter rains than in summer and many rodents shift their diets from predominantly seeds to ones containing more vegetation. This shift results in a proportionately greater preformed water intake and, as these rodents do not drink, an increase in the water influx to field metabolic rate ratio (WI : FMR; ml kJ–1). Thus, this ratio is indicative of the food consumed, being low when gerbils are consuming seeds and high when consuming green vegetation. 2. Smaller animals are more dependent on a highly digestible, high energy diet such as seeds and are more vulnerable to extreme air temperatures than are larger animals. It was predicted that: (1) gerbils consume less seeds in winter than in summer but the difference between seasons in seed intake is less pronounced in smaller than in larger rodents; and (2) smaller gerbils are more sensitive to extreme air temperatures than are larger gerbils. To examine these hypotheses, two coexisting desert gerbils, Gerbillus henleyi (8–12 g) and Meriones crassus (50–110 g), were studied. 3. It was predicted that: (1) the WI : FMR ratio would be greater in winter than in summer in both species, but the proportionate increase would be smaller in G. henleyi than in M. crassus; and (2) energy expenditure would be greater in winter than in summer in both species, but the proportionate increase would be greater in G. henleyi than in M. crassus. To test these predictions, winter and summer water influx and field metabolic rates in these species were measured under free‐living conditions using doubly labelled water. 4. The WI : FMR ratio in summer was 0·048 in G. henleyi and 0·069 in M. crassus, indicating that G. henleyi was consuming proportionately more seeds than M. crassus. In winter, the ratio was 0·052 in G. henleyi, indicating that there was little change in dietary composition and that this species was still consuming mainly seeds. In contrast, the ratio in M. crassus rose to 0·127, indicating a shift to a diet containing more green vegetation. The relatively higher seed intake by G. henleyi than M. crassus in both seasons and the small, if any, seasonal change in seed intake in G. henleyi agrees with the hypothesis of body size and seed intake in gerbils. Winter FMR increased over summer FMR in both species, as predicted; however, the expected greater increase in G. henleyi relative to M. crassus did not occur. The winter FMR was 1·52 times the summer FMR in G. henleyi and 1·53 times the summer FMR in M. crassuss.

show abstract

Section: Water Influx To Field Metabolic Rate Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Body size, granivory and seasonal dietary shifts in desert gerbilline rodents

et al. 1997

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mass specific water influx in winter increased by 63.1% in G. allenbyi and by 62.5% in G. pyramidum when compared to their respective summer water influxes. For the two granivorous heteromyids, P.formosus (Mullen 1970) and D. merriami (Mullen 1971), these values were 58.7% and 56.6% of their predicted FMRs, respectively. FMRs of G. allenbyi and G. pyramidum were 69.3% and 74.5%, respectively, of those predicted for rodents of their body masses.…”

Section: Field Metabolic Ratementioning

confidence: 87%

“…Means are ex-pressed+ SD and were compared using Student's t-test. Body mass (mb), total body water volume (TBW), water influx (WI), CO2 production (I2CO2) and field metabolic rates (FMR) of Gerbillus allenbyi and G. pyramidum in winter and summer Morris and Bradshaw (1981): WI (ml/day)=0.21 m b (g)0.9o c FMR predicted according to Nagy (1987): log FMR (kJ/day) = 1.022+ log m b (g) d Data from e Data from Mullen (1970) r Data from Mullen (1971) n = 33 in summer) in both winter and summer; intraspecific comparisons showed no significant seasonal differences in body mass. (34.24-4.5 g, n=10 in winter and 31.8:t:9.2 g, n= 19 in summer) was heavier than G. all enbyi (22.74-3.1 g, n=10 in winter and 22.84-5.9 g, Table 1.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field metabolic rates and water influxes of two sympatric Gerbillidae:Gerbillus allenbyi andG. pyramidum

1992

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two primarily granivorous rodents of Old World deserts,Gerbillus allenbyi (mean adult body mass=26 g) andG. pyramidum (mean adult body mass=40 g), coexist in sandy habitats in the northwestern Negev desert. Both species are burrow dwellers and are nocturnal; however, in their overall distributions,G. pyramidum occurs in more extreme deserts than doesG. allenbyi. In comparing field metabolic rate (FMR) and water influx of the twoGerbillus species, we considered two alternative hypotheses: (1) given the difference in their overall distributions,G. pyramidum has a lower FMR and water influx thanG. allenbyi, and (2) given the similarity in their diets, and that we worked with sympatric populations, FMR and water influx are similar. The latter alternative proved to be correct. Field metabolic rates in summer were 7.29 kJ · g · day forG. allenbyi and 7.74 kJ · g · day forG. pyramidum, values that were 69.3% and 74.5%, respectively, of those predicted for rodents of their body masses. Summer water influx ofG. allenbyi was 0.167 ml · g · day and that ofG. pyramidum was 0.144 ml · g · day; these values were 79.4% and 68.6%, respectively, of water influxes predicted for rodents of their body masses. When compared allometrically, there were no interspecific differences in any of the measurements.

show abstract

“…Ecological studies at the NTS have examined population dynamics, movement, and dispersal of various rodents (Sources: Allred and Beck, 1962;French et al, 1966;Jorgensen, 1963;Maza et al, 1973;Mullen, 1970;Rowland and Turner, 1964), lizards (Sources: Allredpd Beck, 1962;Jorgensen and Tanner, 1963;Tanner and Krogh, 1973), and many invertebrates (Source: Allred and Beck, 1962;1967).…”

Respiratory metabolism and body water turnover rates of Perognathus formosus in its natural environment

Cited by 98 publications

References 12 publications

Body size, granivory and seasonal dietary shifts in desert gerbilline rodents

Body size, granivory and seasonal dietary shifts in desert gerbilline rodents

Field metabolic rates and water influxes of two sympatric Gerbillidae:Gerbillus allenbyi andG. pyramidum

Special Nevada report

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About