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Journal article
Field metabolic rates of giant pandas reveal energetic adaptations
Scientific reports, v 11(1), pp 22391-22391
17 Nov 2021
PMID: 34789821
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Knowledge of energy expenditure informs conservation managers for long term plans for endangered species health and habitat suitability. We measured field metabolic rate (FMR) of free-roaming giant pandas in large enclosures in a nature reserve using the doubly labeled water method. Giant pandas in zoo like enclosures had a similar FMR (14,182 kJ/day) to giant pandas in larger field enclosures (13,280 kJ/day). In winter, giant pandas raised their metabolic rates when living at - 2.4 degrees C (36,108 kJ/day) indicating that they were below their thermal neutral zone. The lower critical temperature for thermoregulation was about 8.0 degrees C and the upper critical temperature was about 28 degrees C. Giant panda FMRs were somewhat lower than active metabolic rates of sloth bears, lower than FMRs of grizzly bears and polar bears and 69 and 81% of predicted values based on a regression of FMR versus body mass of mammals. That is probably due to their lower levels of activity since other bears actively forage for food over a larger home range and pandas often sit in a patch of bamboo and eat bamboo for hours at a time. The low metabolic rates of giant pandas in summer, their inability to acquire fat stores to hibernate in winter, and their ability to raise their metabolic rate to thermoregulate in winter are energetic adaptations related to eating a diet composed almost exclusively of bamboo. Differences in FMR of giant pandas between our study and previous studies (one similar and one lower) appear to be due to differences in activity of the giant pandas in those studies.
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Details
- Title
- Field metabolic rates of giant pandas reveal energetic adaptations
- Creators
- Wenlei Bi - Drexel UniversityRong Hou - Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingJacob R. Owens - Department of Conservation, Los Angeles Zoo, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.James R. Spotila - Drexel UniversityMarc Valitutto - Smithsonian Conservation Biology InstituteGuan Yin - Chengdu University of TechnologyFrank V. Paladino - Purdue University Fort WayneFanqi Wu - Drexel UniversityDunwu Qi - Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingZhihe Zhang - Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
- Publication Details
- Scientific reports, v 11(1), pp 22391-22391
- Publisher
- NATURE PORTFOLIO
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grant note
- CPF2017-20 / Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Foundation Atlanta Zoo Memphis Zoo Betz Chair of Environmental Science at Drexel University Global Cause Foundation Shrey Chair of Biology at Purdue University at Fort Wayne
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- [Retired Faculty]
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000722246000002
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85119271751
- Other Identifier
- 991019168511704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Zoology