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Comparative renal morphology of some southern African otomyine rodents

100%

Pillay N., Willan K., Taylor P. J.

Acta Theriologica

1994

tom 39

nr 1

The kidney structure of 21 individual otomyine rodents representing six southern African taxa from localities with differing climatic profiles was studied by means of light microscopy. Variation in the data was accounted for primarily by relative cortex and medulla proportions, The kidneys of Otomys angoniensis Wroughton, 1906, O. irroratus (Brants, 1827) and O. nloggetti robertsi Hewitt, 1927 displayed mesic adaptation, and those of 0. unisulcatus F. Cuvier, 1829, Parotomys brantsii (A. Smith, 1834) and P, littledalei Thomas, 1918 xeric adaptation, reflecting species-specific patterns of geographic distribution across southern African rainfall gradients. Neither mesic nor xeric renal characters appear optimally expressed in the species considered, and it is postulated that feeding habits and behavioural adaptations play a significant role in the water economy of otomyine rodents.

Refuge microclimates of rodents: a surface nesting Otomys unisulcatus and burrowing Parotomys brantsii

80%

Du P. A., Kerley G. I. H., Winter P. E. D.

Acta Theriologica

1992

tom 37

nr 4

We investigated microclimates of the nest of Otomys unisulcatus Cuvier, 1829 and the warren of Parotomys brantsii (Smith, 1834) during two seasons and correlated these with the rodents' physiology. In both rodents' refuges, temperature varied less than ambient temperature (TA). In winter, temperatures in the O. unisulcatus nest at 40 cm below the nest apex, and in Lhe P. brantsii warren 15 cm below the soil surface, were higher than noclurnal TA. In summer, during the hours of highest TA, refuges wore cooler than TA. Vapour pressure (v.p.) in the refuges varied less and was higher than ambient v.p. In the humid refuges, heat loss by conduction rather than evaporative water loss is suggested. The nest of O. unisulcatus, with less temperature variation in winter and lower temperatures in summer, was less dependent ofTA than P. brantsii's warren. The use of these refuges therefore contributes to the survival of those mesic rodents in a semi-arid region.

Ograniczanie wyników

2 Acta Theriologica

1 Du P. A.

1 Kerley G. I. H.

1 Pillay N.

1 Taylor P. J.

1 Willan K.

1 Winter P. E. D.

1 1994

1 1992

Wyniki wyszukiwania

Comparative renal morphology of some southern African otomyine rodents

Refuge microclimates of rodents: a surface nesting Otomys unisulcatus and burrowing Parotomys brantsii