Energy gain and loss during lactation and postweaning in southern elephant seal pups (Mirounga leonina) at King George Island
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...
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2000
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| Online Access: | https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_07224060_v23_n6_p437_Carlini https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_07224060_v23_n6_p437_Carlini |
| Summary: | 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 = 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 represented 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 = 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. Fil:Panarello, H.O. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. |
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