The Comparative Energetics of New Guinean Cuscuses (Metatheria: Phalangeridae)

Rates of metabolism and body temperatures were measured as a function of ambient temperature in 6 species of cuscuses, including 5 species of Phalanger and 1 species of Spilocuscus from Papua New Guinea. These species had basal rates that are typical of marsupials. Basal rate of metabolism correlate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mammalogy 2008-10, Vol.89 (5), p.1145-1151
Main Author: McNab, Brian K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
activity level
Altitude
Ambient temperature
Animal ethology
Art galleries & museums
Basal metabolism
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Body temperature
energetics
FEATURE ARTICLES
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lowlands
Mammalia
Mammalogy
Mammals
Marsupials
Metatheria
Orientalism
Phalanger
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Species
Spilocuscus
Studies
Temperature
Vertebrata
Young animals
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Summary:Rates of metabolism and body temperatures were measured as a function of ambient temperature in 6 species of cuscuses, including 5 species of Phalanger and 1 species of Spilocuscus from Papua New Guinea. These species had basal rates that are typical of marsupials. Basal rate of metabolism correlated with activity level, with active species having basal rates that averaged 18% greater than inactive species. Body mass and activity level accounted for 96.6% of the variation in phalangerid basal rates. The uniformity in marsupial basal rate, independent of body mass, reflects a form of reproduction that cannot exploit high basal rates. Montane species tended to have lower thermal conductances than generally found in species limited to low altitudes.
ISSN:0022-2372
1545-1542
DOI:10.1644/07-MAMM-A-402.1