Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center

02 Mar, 03 AM - 18 Mar, 04 AM

I am studying the energetics of voluntary locomotion in small mammals. There is a very extensive database on running costs in tetrapods, but nearly all of it was obtained from forced-exercise protocols in which animals are forced to run (typically on motorized treadmills) for long periods at constant speeds. That contrasts with what is known about voluntary exercise in nature: most animals use strongly intermittent locomotion: short bouts of running, with considerable variation in speed. We have developed an enclosed running wheel system that allows animals to voluntarily exercise at whatever times, speeds, and durations they choose, while both running speed and metabolic rate are measured continuously for periods of 24-48 hours. The system works very well for the vast majority of individuals in all species tested. To place the voluntary data in the context of the animal's capacity for exercise, we also test for maximal oxygen consumption in a brief forced-exercise test prior to releasing the animal at the site of capture The research at Deep Canyon will initially focus on Merriam's kangaroo rats, Dipodomys merriami. Future work may also include antelop ground squirrels and pocket mice.

Visit #11986 @Boyd Deep Canyon Desert Research Center

Approved

Under Project # 7889 | Research

Locomotion energetics in small mammals

faculty - University of California, Riverside

Reservation Members(s)

Mark Chappell Mar 2 - 18, 2007 (17 days)

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Mayhew housing facilities 1 Mar 2 - 18, 2007
Lab Space 1 Mar 2 - 18, 2007