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NITROGEN BALANCE AND WATER INTAKE IN THE KANGAROO ISLAND WALLABY, PROTEMNODON EUGENII (DESMAREST)
Author(s) -
Barker S
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1968.2
Subject(s) - marsupial , dry matter , biology , zoology , excretion , nitrogen , nitrogen balance , macropus , ecology , population , chemistry , endocrinology , demography , organic chemistry , sociology
Summary Nitrogen balance, water intake and urine volumes of five female Kangaroo Island wallabies. Protemnodon eugenii (Desmarest) were measured. It was found that theoretical nitrogen equilibrium was achieved at an intake of 289 mg N/kg. W 0.75 /day which is slightly less than that given by Brown and Main (1967) for the euro. Macropus robustus Gould, a desert adapted macropod marsupial. It was calculated that metabolic faecal nitrogen excretion of the Kangaroo Island wallaby is 411 mg.N/100 g. dry matter intake. From this the theoretical digestible nitrogen intake required to maintain nitrogen equilibrium was calculated as 248 mg.N/kg. W 0.75 /day, a figure higher than that found by Brown and Main (1967) for the euro. Although urinary nitrogen excretion is low in both species when they are fed a low nitrogen diet, the euro seems to be more efficient at utilising nitrogen. This is probably achieved by lowering the excretion of both uninary urea and metabolic faecal nitrogen. A negative correlation was found between dry matter intake and mean daily temperature during the pre‐feeding periods. Similar findings have been made in the euro and in the tammar, the Western Australian representative of the Kangaroo Island wallaby. There was a stepwise increase in mean dry matter intake as nitrogen intake increased, and dry matter intake and water intake were positively correlated. The significance of the results is discussed in relation to a naturally occurring population of the Kangaroo Island Wallaby.