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Thermoregulation In Juvenile Red Kangaroos (Macropus Rufus) After Pouch Exit: Higher Metabolism And Evaporative Water Requirements, Adam J. Munn, Terence J. Dawson

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The population dynamics of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) in the Australian arid zone is tightly linked with environmental factors, which partly operate via the survival of juvenile animals. A crucial stage is the young-at-foot (YAF) stage when kangaroos permanently exit the pouch. We have examined the thermal biology of YAF red kangaroos during ages from permanent pouch exit until weaning. Over a wide range of environmental temperatures (ambient temperature [T-a] -5 degrees to 45 degreesC), YAF red kangaroos had a mass-specific metabolism that was generally twice that of adults, considerably higher than would be expected for an adult marsupial of …