Thermal physiology of Niviventer coxingi and N. culturatus and its relationship with their altitudinal distribution

• Main Authors: Chen Ya-ting, 陳雅婷
• Other Authors: Ling-Ling Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/31209091178417739796

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 動物學研究所 === 89 === Thermal physiology, e.g. basal metabolic rate (BMR), thermal neutral zone (TNZ) and critical temperature, can be an important factor that influence the altitudinal distribution of animals. In Taiwan, Niviventer coxingi lives at low to middle altitude, whereaver N. culturatus a congener lives at high to middle altitude. They may live sympatrically at altitude of 1500~2000m. This study was designed to compare their thermal physiology and to examine how this may affect in their altitudinal distribution. The animals used in this study were captured at Nantou Hsien Mei-feng farm (N. culturatus) and Yangmeanshan (N. coxingi) in different seasons from Sept 1998 to Apr. 2000. A few others were captured in Kuan-wu, Chilan , Alishan and Meilan. Altogether 84 rats were used. This animals were measured for their metabolic rate, TNZ and CTmax (maximum critical temperature). The results indicated that the BMR varies significantly with season in N. culturatus but not in N. coxingi . In spring and summer, the BMR of N. culturatus is lower than that of N. coxing, but it is reverse in fall and winter. The TNZ of N. coxingi (8℃) are wider than N. culturatus(6℃), and the high temperature of TNZ in N. coxingi is always higher than that of N. culturatus .These results indicate that N. coxingi can adapt to higher temperature, but not N. culturatus . Some results were shown in CTmax and body temperature. According to these results, the high environment temperature may be a limiting factor in altitudinal distribution of N. culturatus.