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Oxygen consumption and body temperature in yellow-bellied marmot populations from montane-mesic and lowland-xeric environments

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Summary

Yellow-bellied marmots characteristically live in montane-mesic environments, but in several areas in western North America, this species extended its range into lowland-xeric habitats. Body mass was significantly smaller in the lowland-xeric population from eastern Washington at 393 m than in the montane-mesic population from western Colorado at 2900 m. Oxygen consumption of marmots from montane-mesic and lowland-xeric environments was signiflcantly affected by ambient temperature (TA) water regimen, population, and a population x water regimen x temperature interaction. Lowland-xeric animals had a higher metabolic rate at low TAs, but a lower metabolic rate at higher TAs than the montane-mesic aminals. Oxygen consumption was lower on a restricted-water regimen than on ad libitum water in both populations. Coefficients relating oxygen consumption to body mass were affected by TA, water regimen, and population. These intraspecific coefficients are larger than the interspecific coefficients for all mammals. Body temperature (TB) was affected significantly by TA, water regimen, and population. TA body mass, and a population x water regimen interaction significantly affected conductance. Conductance generally was higher in the lowland-xeric than in the montane-mesic marmots. Both populations increased conductance at high TA, but the lowland-xeric population dissipated a much higher proportion of the heat by evaporative water loss (EWL) than did the montane-mesic population. Metabolic water production exceeded or equaled EWL at 5–20°C. Smaller body size, reduced metabolism at high TA, and increased EWL at high TA characterized the lowland-xeric population.

Metabolic rates of yellow-bellied marmots were higher than predicted from body size during the reproductive season but decreased to 67% of that predicted from the Kleiber curve by late summer. Marmots minimize thermoregulatory costs by concentrating activity at times when the microclimate is favorable, by tolerating hyperthermia at high TA in the field, and by having a conductance lower than that predicted from body size.

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Abbreviations

DHC :

dry-heat conductance

EHL :

evaporative heat loss

EWL :

evaporative water loss

HP :

heat produced

T A :

ambient temperature

T n :

body temperature

M :

body mass

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systematics and Ecology, The University of Kansas, Haworth Hall, 66045-2106, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Kenneth B. Armitage, Jaye C. Melcher & John M. Ward Jr

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  1. Kenneth B. Armitage
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  2. Jaye C. Melcher
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  3. John M. Ward Jr
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Armitage, K.B., Melcher, J.C. & Ward, J.M. Oxygen consumption and body temperature in yellow-bellied marmot populations from montane-mesic and lowland-xeric environments. J Comp Physiol B 160, 491–502 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00258976

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