Correspondence
doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00309.x Although many toothed whales (Cetácea: Odontoceti) lactate for 2-3 years or more, it is not known whether milk composition is affected by lactation stage in any odontocete species. We collected 64 pooled milk samples spanning 1-30 months postpartum from three cap...
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| Language: | English |
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2006
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.506.8692 http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/6046/1/West_0274effect_of_lactation_stage.pdf |
| Summary: | doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00309.x Although many toothed whales (Cetácea: Odontoceti) lactate for 2-3 years or more, it is not known whether milk composition is affected by lactation stage in any odontocete species. We collected 64 pooled milk samples spanning 1-30 months postpartum from three captive bottlenose dolphins Tursiops trunca-tus. Milks were assayed for water, fat, crude protein (TN x 6.38) and sugar; gross energy was calculated. Ovulation and pregnancy were determined via monitoring of milk progesterone. Based on analysis of changes in milk composition for each individual dolphin, there were significant increases (P<0.05) in fat (in all three dolphins) and crude protein (in two of three), and a decrease (P<0.05) in water (in two of three) over the course of lactation, but the sugar content did not change. In all three animals, the energy content was positively correlated with month of lactation, but the percentage of energy provided by crude protein declined slightly but significantly (P<0.05). At mid-lactation (7-12 months postpartum, « = 17) |
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