Energy Gain during lactation and subsequent energy loss by the weaned pup in the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina).

CARLINI, A. R.; PANARELLO, H.O.; MARQUEZ, M. E. I.; SOAVE, G. E.; DANERI, G. A.

POLAR BIOLOGY

Springer Verlag

Lugar: Berlin/Heidelberg; Año: 2001 vol. 23 p. 437 - 440

0722-4060

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:AdvTimes-b; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:AdvTimes; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:AdvTimes-i; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:AdvP4C4E74; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0mm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 30.0mm 70.85pt 30.0mm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> ABSTRACT  Deuterium-labeled water was used to measure changes in the proximate body composition during the lactation period and after weaning in southern elephant seal pups at King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. During the lactation period (23.0 .1.4 days) pups gained a mean of 4.9 . 0.5 kg/day (n à 7). Of the total mass gain (112 . 8 kg), 38% was water, 48% was fat, and 11% was protein. This represented an increase in total body gross energy of 2437 . 145 MJ. The proportion of body mass repre- sented by fat was less than 2% at birth, increasing to 35 . 2% at weaning. We followed the pups during a mean period of 36 . 3 days after weaning. During this period, pups had a mean loss of 1.21 . 0.10 kg/day (n à 7) comprising 39% water, 48% fat, and 12% protein. The energy cost over this period was 952 . 168 MJ, which represented, on average, 39% of the total energy gained during the suckling period.