Sometimes the simple way is best: an evaluation of total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) and a morphological index as predictors of total body water in the northern brown bandicoot, Isoodon macrourus

Parker, A.K., and Krockenberger, A.K. (2002) Sometimes the simple way is best: an evaluation of total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) and a morphological index as predictors of total body water in the northern brown bandicoot, Isoodon macrourus. Wildlife Research, 29 (2). pp. 135-140.

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Abstract

Total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) can be used as a non-invasive measure of body water and/or lean mass, but there are no validations of this technique in small marsupials. The ability of TOBEC to describe body water content in the northern brown bandicoot, Isoodon macrourus, was compared with that of a morphologically based index. The TOBEC Index, E, was significantly related to total body water, calculated using tritium dilution, by a cubic polynomial. Using this relationship TOBEC was able to predict total body water to within 3.9 16.8 g (s.e., n = 13) and percentage total body water to within 0.4 1.8% (s.e., n = 13) of the values calculated by tritium dilution. The ratio of mass to hindleg length gave the best predictive power of the morphological indices tested for total body water and was significantly related to body water by a quadratic polynomial. Total body water predicted from the mass to hindleg-length ratio averaged 2.9 14.0 g (s.e., n = 13) lower, and the percentage total body water averaged 0.2 1.6% (s.e., n = 13) lower, than that derived from tritium dilution. Both techniques were able to make very strong predictions of body water, well within the ranges of variability that might be expected to be ecologically significant in this species. Contrary to expectations, the morphological index was as good a predictor of body water as TOBEC in this calibration set of animals.

Item ID: 13701
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1448-5494
Date Deposited: 08 Dec 2010 23:15
FoR Codes: 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0606 Physiology > 060604 Comparative Physiology @ 80%
06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0606 Physiology > 060699 Physiology not elsewhere classified @ 15%
06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0608 Zoology > 060899 Zoology not elsewhere classified @ 5%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9613 Remnant Vegetation and Protected Conservation Areas > 961305 Remnant Vegetation and Protected Conservation Areas in Farmland, Arable Cropland and Permanent Cropland @ 100%
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