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Ventilatory Accommodation Of Oxygen Demand And Respiratory Water Loss In Kangaroos From Mesic And Arid Environments, The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus Giganteus) And The Red Kangaroo (Macropus Rufus), Terence J. Dawson, Adam J. Munn, Cyntina E. Blaney, Andrew Krockenberger, Shane K. Maloney

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We studied ventilation in kangaroos from mesic and arid environments, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) and the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), respectively, within the range of ambient temperatures (T-a) from -5 degrees to 45 degrees C. At thermoneutral temperatures (T-a = 25 degrees C), there were no differences between the species in respiratory frequency, tidal volume, total ventilation, or oxygen extraction. The ventilatory patterns of the kangaroos were markedly different from those predicted from the allometric equation derived for placentals. The kangaroos had low respiratory frequencies and higher tidal volumes, even when adjustment was made for their lower basal …