Thermoregulatory, metabolic and ventilatory physiology of the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii)
Alexander N. Larcombe A C , Philip C. Withers A and Stewart C. Nicol BA Zoology, School of Animal Biology M092, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
B Discipline of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas. 7001, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: ebmocral@graduate.uwa.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 54(1) 9-14 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO05071
Submitted: 18 November 2005 Accepted: 18 January 2006 Published: 23 March 2006
Abstract
Thermoregulatory, metabolic and ventilatory parameters measured for the Tasmanian eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) in thermoneutrality (ambient temperature = 30°C) were: body temperature 35.1°C, basal metabolic rate 0.55 mL O2 g–1 h–1, wet thermal conductance 2.2 mL O2 g–1 h–1 °C–1, dry thermal conductance 1.4 J g–1 h–1 °C–1, ventilatory frequency 24.8 breaths min–1, tidal volume 9.9 mL, minute volume of 246 mL min–1, and oxygen extraction efficiency 22.2%. These physiological characteristics are consistent with a cool/wet distribution, e.g. high basal metabolic rate (3.33 mL O2 g–0.75 h–1) for thermogenesis, low thermal conductance (0.92 J g–1 h–1 °C–1 at 10°C) for heat retention and intolerance of high ambient temperatures (≥35°C) with panting, hyperthermia and high total evaporative water loss (16.9 mg H2O g–1 h–1).
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by an APA Grant to Alexander Larcombe. Bandicoots were caught and held under licence from the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (DPIWE). This research was conducted with the approval of the Animal Ethics Committee of both the University of Western Australia, and the University of Tasmania. We thank Niels Anderson and Alexander Kabat for their assistance and advice in animal trapping.
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