Effects of long-term captivity on thermoregulation, metabolism and ventilation of the southern brown bandicoot (Marsupialia: Peramelidae)

Abstract

Thermoneutral metabolic and ventilatory parameters were measured every 3 months over 2 years for southern brown bandicoots held in captivity, and from a nearby reserve. Captive bandicoots were 130 g (9.9%) heavier than wild bandicoots. Long-term captivity had no effect on body temperature, basal metabolic rate (oxygen consumption), thermal conductance or respiratory ventilation, but there was an effect on carbon dioxide production, respiratory exchange ratio and total evaporative water loss (values were between 15 and 25% higher for captive than for wild bandicoots). Diet may be influencing these aspects of captive bandicoot physiology; the diet of captive bandicoots would be considerably different to that of wild bandicoots. Water availability seems to have a minimal effect. This study has important implications regarding physiological measurement for captive and wild mammals. For bandicoots at least, captive animals are equivalent to wild animals for some physiological parameters at thermoneutrality (body temperature, resting metabolic rate and thermal conductance), but not others.