Effects of meal size, meal composition, diel cycle, and season on oxygen consumption in the Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata.

摘要

The metabolic rates of numerous reptiles and amphibians have been studied; however, the reptiles and amphibians utilized are often highly specialized feeders. The animals utilized are usually exclusively herbivorous or carnivorous. Previous experiments have also used reptiles and amphibians that feed on very large and infrequent meals. In this study I used the omnivorous Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata, a frequent feeder of small meals, to investigate the changes in oxygen consumption rates due to meal size, meal composition, diel cycle, and seasonal effects. Significant changes in oxygen consumption were observed when the turtles ate different food items and at different times in the diel cycle; however, meal size and season did not have a significant influence. My values indicate that the changes in oxygen consumption in the Ornate Box Turtle are the result of several influences.