Body and Digestive Tract Sizes in Small Phytophagous Mammals: Influence of Ecological and Physiological Factors

E. I. Naumova; Наумова Е. И.; T. Yu. Chistova; Чистова Т. Ю.; G. K. Zharova; Жарова Г. К.

doi:10.31857/S1026347022600832

Body and Digestive Tract Sizes in Small Phytophagous Mammals: Influence of Ecological and Physiological Factors

Autores: Naumova E.¹, Chistova T.¹, Zharova G.¹
Afiliações:
1. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences
Edição: Nº 3 (2023)
Páginas: 297-307
Seção: ФИЗИОЛОГИЯ ЖИВОТНЫХ И ЧЕЛОВЕКА
URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/1026-3470/article/view/135526
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S1026347022600832
EDN: https://elibrary.ru/MJZEFJ
ID: 135526

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Resumo

The question of the size ratio of the body and the digestive tract (DT) in small phytophagous mammals is considered on the example of gerbils (Gerbillidae), a group of rodents that is exceptionally convenient for studying such relationships due to significant differences in body weight and morphological homogeneity of the DT. We analyzed the weight ratios of body size and DT, wet weight of contents and tissues of DT in 6 species of gerbils with a 10-fold body weight range (average 18 to 175 g) coexisting in the Negev desert – Psammomys obesus, Meriones crassus, Gerbillus pyramidum, Gerbillus allenbyi, Gerbillus dasyurus Gerbillus henleyi. In a number of studied species of small mammals weighing less than 0.5 kg, no linear relationship was found between body size and DT. The allometry of the considered indicators is mainly due to environmental and physiological factors.

Palavras-chave

small phytophagous mammals, digestive tract, body weight, allometry, gerbils

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