Coefficients of digestibility and caloric diet of rodents in the northern Great Basin desert

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979 · J. Mammalogy; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1379820· OSTI ID:6947704

Schreiber, R K

In desert ecosystems small rodents are major components of the vertebrate fauna and they likely influence greatly the distribution and abundance of certain producers. In addition to the direct influence on producers, small mammals may also regulate the cycling of nutrients and the transfer of energy. In describing the flow of energy through a species, it is important to determine how effectively the species digests its diet and to quantify the caloric content of its natural diet. This study determined the digestibility coefficients and caloric diet of eight common species of rodents in the northern Great Basin desert. The species are: Great Basin pocket mouse (Perognathus parvus), deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), northern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys leucogaster), western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis), Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii), Chisel-toothed kangaroo rat (Dipodomys microps), least chipmunk (Eutamias minimus), and Townsend's ground squirrel (Spermophilus townsendii).

• OSTI ID: 6947704
• Journal Information: J. Mammalogy; (United States), Journal Name: J. Mammalogy; (United States) Vol. 60:2; ISSN JOMAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510100* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
ARID LANDS
BASELINE ECOLOGY
CALCULATION METHODS
CALORIFIC VALUE
CHIPMUNKS
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
DATA
DIET
DIGESTION
ECOLOGY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOOD
GREAT BASIN
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
MICE
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
NUTRIENTS
RODENTS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
USA
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES