Metabolic, Ventilatory, and Hygric Physiology of the Gracile Mouse Opossum (Gracilinanus agilis)

• Published in: Physiological and biochemical zoology 2009-03, Vol.82 (2), p.153-162
• Main Authors: Cooper, C. E., Withers, P. C., Cruz‐Neto, A. P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Basal Metabolism; Body Temperature; Body Temperature Regulation - physiology; Brazil; Datasets; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Mammals; Marsupials; Metabolism; Opossums; Opossums - physiology; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Phylogenetics; Physiology; Pulmonary Ventilation - physiology; Species; Torpor; Water loss; Water Loss, Insensible - physiology
• ISSN: 1522-2152; 1537-5293
• DOI: 10.1086/595967

We present the first complete study of basic laboratory‐measured physiological variables (metabolism, thermoregulation, evaporative water loss, and ventilation) for a South American marsupial, the gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis). Body temperature (T b) was thermolabile below thermoneutrality ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $T_{\mathrm{b}\,}=33.5^{\circ }\mathrm{C}\,$ \end{document} ), but a substantial gradient betweenT band ambient temperature (T a) was sustained even at \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $T_{\mathrm{a}\,}=12^{\circ }\mathrm{C}\,$ \end{document} ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $T_{\mathrm{b}\,}=30.6^{\circ }\mathrm{C}\,$ \end{document} ). Basal metabolic rate of 1.00 mL O2g−1h−1at \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc}