OBSERVATIONS ON FOOD CONSUMPTION AND PREFERENCE IN FOUR ALASKAN MAMMALS

• Main Authors: Peter R. Morrison, William J. Teitz
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Morrison; Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.520.5587; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/arctic6-1-52.pdf

D URING the summer of 1950 a number of living specimens were collected during studies on temperature regulation in Alaskan mamma1s.l These animals were brought back to Wisconsin and maintained in captivity, a number being still alive more than two years after capture. Since an adequate diet is often essential for successful maintenance, some systematic observations on food preference in terms of kind and amount were carried out. Such studies may be indicative of the requirements and food preferences of the animals in nature. The animals studied were the Alaskan ground squirrels, Citellus parryii ablusus (8) and C. osgoodi (2), the Dawson red-backed vole, Clethrionomys mtilus dawsoni (8), the Alaskan collared lemming, Dicrostonyx rubricatus rubricatus (2), and the pika, Ochotona collaris (1). Some details as to habitat, distribution, abundance, and mode of capture of these animals are described elsewhere (Strecker and Morrison, 1952; Strecker et al., 1952). The following observations were made in Madison during October and November, about two months after capture, during which time the weights of the animals were substantially constant, that is there was no steady gain