(*rectificado de Antinuchi) Metabolic rates and thermoregulatory characteristics of Akodon azarae (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae)

ANTENUCCI C.D.*; BUSCH C

REVISTA CHILENA DE HISTORIA NATURAL

Sociedad de Biología de Chile

Lugar: Santiago de Chile; Año: 2000 vol. 73 p. 131 - 138

0716-078X

In this work, we evaluated the energetic status, activity daily metabolic rate, thermoregulatory capacity and the existence of torpor in Akodon azarae (Fisher 1829). Basal metabolic rate (BMR) was similar to the expected value from Kleiber´s, and also according to the BMR of phylogenetically related species. No statistical difference in BMR between sexes was detected. For both males and females, activity daily metabolic rate was 235 % of BMR. Body temperature was not statistically different, neither at different ambient temperatures nor between sexes. In the thermoneutral zone, body temperature was 36.1 ± 1.5 °C. Thermal conductance was lower than the expected for mammals whereas thermoregulatory capacity was 136 % of the expected. Akodon azarae did not show evidence of torpor