Biomaterial Database

Thermoregulation in the largest African cricetid, the giant rat Cricetomys gambianus. 1988

M H Knight

Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

1. Thermoregulation, metabolism and minimum conductance in Africa's largest cricetid, Cricetomys gambianus (1870.9 +/- 194.2 g), were investigated. 2. A mean minimal resting metabolic rate of 0.61 +/- 0.09 ml O2/g/hr (139% of that predicted), a minimal conductance of 0.04 +/- 0.01 ml O2/g/degrees C/hr (195% of that predicted), a thermoneutral zone from 21 to 34 degrees C and a mean body temperature of 35.6 +/- 1.1 degree C below an ambient temperature of 20 degrees C were found. 3. It was concluded that giant rats are physiologically adapted to burrowing habits, but only within cool environments, and are precluded from exploiting drier areas.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010101	Oxygen Consumption	The rate at which oxygen is used by a tissue; microliters of oxygen STPD used per milligram of tissue per hour; the rate at which oxygen enters the blood from alveolar gas, equal in the steady state to the consumption of oxygen by tissue metabolism throughout the body. (Stedman, 25th ed, p346)	Consumption, Oxygen,Consumptions, Oxygen,Oxygen Consumptions
D001831	Body Temperature	The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal.	Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D001833	Body Temperature Regulation	The processes of heating and cooling that an organism uses to control its temperature.	Heat Loss,Thermoregulation,Regulation, Body Temperature,Temperature Regulation, Body,Body Temperature Regulations,Heat Losses,Loss, Heat,Losses, Heat,Regulations, Body Temperature,Temperature Regulations, Body,Thermoregulations
D003411	Arvicolinae	A subfamily of MURIDAE found nearly world-wide and consisting of about 20 genera. Voles, lemmings, and muskrats are members.	Clethrionomys,Cricetidae,Dicrostonyx,Lemmings,Lemmus,Mice, Red-Backed,Microtinae,Microtus,Muskrats,Ondatra,Voles,Arvicolines,Microtines,Mouse, Red-Backed,Myodes,Ondatra zibethicus,Arvicoline,Lemming,Mice, Red Backed,Microtine,Mouse, Red Backed,Muskrat,Red-Backed Mice,Red-Backed Mouse,Vole
D005260	Female		Females
D000064	Acclimatization	Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old.	Acclimation
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012621	Seasons	Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D013019	South Africa	A republic in southern Africa, the southernmost part of Africa. It has three capitals: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). Officially the Republic of South Africa since 1960, it was called the Union of South Africa 1910-1960.	Republic of South Africa,Union of South Africa