PMID: 8956503Jan 1, 1996Paper

Nitrogen and energy requirements of the short-tailed fruit bat (Carollia perspicillata): fruit bats are not nitrogen constrained

Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology
M Delorme, D W Thomas

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) and energy (E) requirements were measured in adult Carollia perspicillata which were fed on four experimental diets. Bats ate 1.3-1.8 times their body mass.day-1 and ingested 1339.5-1941.4 kJ.kg-0.75.day-1. Despite a rapid transit time, dry matter digestibility and metabolizable E coefficient were high (83.3% and 82.4%, respectively), but true N digestibility was low (67.0%). Mass change was not correlated with E intake, indicating that bats adjusted their metabolic rate to maintain constant mass. Bats were able to maintain constant mass with digestible E intake as low as 1168.7 kJ.kg-0.75.day-1 or 58.6 kJ.. Metabolic fecal N and endogenous urinary N losses were 0.87 mg N.g-1 dry matter intake and 172.5 mg N.kg-0.75.day-1, respectively, and bats required 442 mg N.kg-0.75.day-1 (total nitrogen) or 292.8 mg N.kg-0.75.day-1 (truly digestible nitrogen) for N balance. Based on E and N requirements and digestibilities, it was calculated that non-reproductive fruit bats were able to meet their N requirements without resorting to folivory and without over-ingesting energy. It was demonstrated that low metabolic fecal requirements allowed bats to survive on low-N diets.

References

Sep 6, 1979·Nature·N J Rothwell, M J Stock
Feb 1, 1997·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·D Audet, D W Thomas
May 1, 1980·Oecologia·Douglas W Morrison

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Citations

Jul 3, 2008·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·Detlev H KelmChristian C Voigt
Apr 5, 2013·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Nelly Rodríguez-PeñaJorge E Schondube
Dec 7, 2006·Biology Letters·John M Ratcliffe, Hannah M Ter Hofstede
Nov 12, 2005·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·Christian C VoigtG Henk Visser
Sep 8, 2017·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Phillipa K BealeBen D Moore
Apr 3, 2003·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology·Michael A Singer

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