Twrrchell, Chester Glenn, 1938- FTJNCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS in the WATER ECONOMY of PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS Negrascensis
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This dissertation has been microtihned exactly as received 69-5787 TWrrCHELL, Chester Glenn, 1938- FTJNCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS IN THE WATER ECONOMY OF PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS NEgRASCENSIS. The University of Oklahoma,Ph.D., 1969 Zoology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE FUNCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS IN THE WATER ECONOMY OF PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS NEBRASCENSIS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY CHESTER GLEM TWITCHELL Norman, Oklahoma 1969 FUNCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS IN THE WATER ECONOMY ■OF PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS NEBRASCENSIS APPROVED BY DISSERTATION COMMITTEE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Dr. Howard B. Haines, Associate Professor of Zoology, for inspiration to do this study; for the use of his research facilities and equipment; for the sincerity of criticism during the writing of this dissertation, and for the time he gave so w illin g ly . To Dr. Cluff E. Hopla, Dr. Charles C. Carpenter, and Dr. Elroy L. Rice for their assistance in critically reading this dissertation. To the Department of Zoology for the use of its space and equipment and financial aid. This study was par tially supported by NSF Grant No. GB3701. I l l TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ............................ v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS............................................................. vi INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1 L iteratu re Review ......................................................... 3 The Problem ..................................................................... 9 METHODS AND MATERIALS............................................................. 11 Experimental P lan......................................................... 11 Experimental Animals.................................................... 12 Urine Collection and Analysis ................................. 12 M e ta b o lism ........................................................................ ■ 13 Acclimation to Reduced Water Intake ..................... 15 Acclimation to Increasing Concentrations of NaCl Solutions ......................................................... 17 Evaporative Water Loss................................................. 17 Urine Concentrations of Field Animals .................. l8 RESULTS....................................................... ■.......................... 20 Metabolism ......................................................................... 20 Acclimation to Reduced Water Intake ..................... 24- Acclimation to Increasing Concentrations of NaCl Solutions ......................................................... 33 Evaporative Water Loss................................................. 37 Urine Concentrations of Field Animals ................... 38 DISCUSSION.................................................................................. 43 Metabolism .......................................................................... 43 Acclimation to Reduced Water Intake and NaCl Loading..................................................................... 46 Evaporative Water Loss................................................. 50 Acclimatization ............................................................. 56 SUMMARY.......................................................................................... 58 LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................... 62 IV LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Experimental treatment of animals used in metabolism experiment................................................. 14 II. Total and fat-free body water of mice, expressed as percentage of total body weight and per cent of lean body weight. 25 I I I . Evaporative water lo ss per u n it oxygen consumption for controls and mice accli mated to water restriction ............................ 37 IV. Oxygen consumption fo r the two groups of mice described in Table III. .................... 38 V. Urine osmolality, sodium, chloride, and potassium concentrations for field ani mals during the seasons of the year ....................... 39 VI. Relationship of total water intake to evaporation in acclimated and nonaccli mated animals.................................................................. 5^ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Distribution of Peromyscus maniculatus and P. m. ne b ra s c e n s is ........................................................ 2 2. Weight in mice during a metabolism study while acutely deprived of food and/or w ater................................................................................. 23 3. Oxygen consumption in mice during a me tabolism study while acutely deprived of food and/or water.......................................................... 23 4. Urine osmolality in mice during a me tabolism study while acutely deprived of food and/or water......................................................... 23 5. Weight changes in mice on ad lib water and reduced water intake ................................................. 27 6. Urine osm olality in mice on ^ lib water and mice acclimated to water restriction .... 2/ y. Urine chloride in mice on ^ lib water and mice acclim ated to water re s tric tio n . 29 8. Urine sodium in mice on ad lib water and mice acclimated to water restriction ................. 29 9. Urine potassium in mice on ^ 11b water and mice acclimated to water restriction . 29 10. Weight changes in mice on d is tille d water and increasing concentrations of NaCl so lu tio n s ......................................................................... 32 11. Urine osmolality in mice on distilled water and increasing concentrations of NaCl solutions ......................................................... 32 VI Figure Page 12. Urine chloride in mice on distilled water and increasing concentrations of NaCl s o lu tio n s ..................................................................... 35 13. Urine sodium in mice on d is tille d water and increasing concentrations of NaCl s o lu tio n s ..................................................................... 35 14. Urine potassium in mice on d is tille d water and increasing concentrations of NaCl s o lu tio n s ..................................................................... 35 15. Urine osmolality in mice taken directly from the field during the seasons of the y e ar................................................................................. 4o 16. Urine sodium in mice taken directly from the field during the seasons of the year. 42 17* Urine chloride in mice taken directly from the field during the seasons of the y ear................................................................................. 42 18 . Urine potassium in mice taken directly from the field during the seasons of the y e ar................................................................................. 42 V ll FUNCTIONAL ADAPTATIONS IN THE WATER ECONOMY OF PEROMYSCUS MANICULATUS NEBRASCENSIS INTRODUCTION Peromyscus maniculatus is the most widespread North American rodent (Hall and Kelson, 1959)? (Fig. 1). Within its range are habitats which are considered mesic to xeric. P. maniculatus. a cricetid, has been collected in such arid conditions as Carlsbad, New Mexico, the panhandle of Oklahoma, and the Painted Desert in Arizona. It has also been taken in mesic areas such as the coastal regions of Canada, Washington, Oregon, and California (Hall and Kelson, 1959 )' P. m. nebrascensis ranges throughout central United States occurring in the western two-thirds of Nebraska and Oklahoma, western one-half of Kansas and South Dakota, southwestern corner of North Dakota, and northern panhandle of Texas (Fig. 1). The h a b ita t of th is subspecies is mesic and is periodically subject to drought. Since this animal may experience water shortage or dehydration in its natural environment there is a possibility of it being adapted to xeric conditions. mm m m «M # 0 I r I — il % m # S u ie of Miles Aa*waû2Mu&eaa<uams£:: Fig. 1 . —D istrib u tio n of Peromyscus maniculatus anâ P. m. nebrascensis (Hall and Kelson, 1959). 3 An animal exposed to water shortage must reduce water loss to remain in water balance. In an animal in water balance the avenues of water loss (fecal, urinary, evaporative) are balanced by water intake (free water, meta bolic water, bound water). The degree to which one or all of the avenues of water loss can be reduced may be critical to the survival of the animal during times of water short age. L iterature Review There are no data on the ability of P. m. nebrascensis to acclimate (the functional compensation over a period of days to weeks in response to a single environ mental factor only, as in controlled experiments) (Folk, 1966 ) or acclimatize (the functional compensation over a period of days to weeks to a complex of environmental fac to rs, as in seasonal or clim atic changes) (Folk, 1966) to water deprivation. How effectively this animal can adapt by acclimation or acclimatization to water deprivation should be reflected by changes in urine concentrations and/or volume, fecal water, and possibly evaporative water loss (EWL). Chew (19653 summarized data on the daily ah lib water intake for six subspecies of P. maniculatus. These studies were done in the laboratory under various conditions of temperature, humidity, and diet. P. m. bairdi had an ad lib water intake of 3*0 ml/day at an average ambient if temperature