Accounting for body condition improves allometric estimates of resting metabolic rates in fasting king penguins, Aptenodytes patagonicus

• Published in: Polar biology 2006-06, Vol.29 (7), p.609-614
• Main Authors: FAHLMAN, A, HALSEY, L. G, HANDRICH, Y, BUTLER, P. J, JONES, D. R, SCHMIDT, A, DURAND, S, FROGET, G, BOST, C.-A, WOAKES, A. J, DUCHAMP, C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Aptenodytes patagonicus; Aves; Biodiversity and Ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Environment and Society; Environmental Sciences; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Field study; Fieldwork; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
• ISSN: 0722-4060; 1432-2056
• DOI: 10.1007/s00300-005-0096-z

We describe a method that allows prediction of resting metabolic rate (RMR, ml O^sub 2^ · min^sup -1^) in adult male and female king penguins on shore by measuring body mass (M ^sub b^) and the length of the foot, flipper and beak. This method is accurate, underestimating measured RMR (n=114) by 4% in a data set consisting of 44 birds (33 males and 11 females). Measurement error was unbiased with respect to fasting duration and can therefore estimate RMR during any stage of fasting. This new method provides significant cost and logistical savings when estimating RMR during fieldwork, allowing RMR of a large number of birds to be measured quickly. These findings suggest the possibility that the use of M ^sub b^ and morphometrics will allow development of general and specific equations to estimate RMR in other species.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]