Morphometric parameters predict body fat proportions in common hamsters

Carina Siutz; Thomas Ruf; Stefanie Monecke; Eva Millesi

doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyab137

Titel

Morphometric parameters predict body fat proportions in common hamsters

Autor*in

Carina Siutz

Department für Verhaltens- und Kognitionsbiologie, Fakultät für Lebenswissenschaften, Universität Wien

Thomas Ruf

Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine

Stefanie Monecke

Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (INCI), Neurobiologie des Rythmes, CNRS UPR-3212, Université de Strasbourg

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Abstract

Common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) are hibernators that rely both on body fat reserves and food stores for the winter period. They face an ongoing population decline in most parts of their distribution and recently were classified as critically endangered. Knowledge on individual body fat proportions in this species is of particular interest for conservation, because it could contribute to better understand the high plasticity in overwintering strategies, overwinter mortality rates, individual variations in reproductive output, and give information on the animals’ health state. To calculate body fat proportions, we validated a method that can be applied in the field without the use of anesthesia. To develop this method, we first analyzed the body fat in carcasses of common hamsters using Soxhlet extractions and measured four morphometric parameters (body mass, head length, tibia length, foot length). The morphometric measurements were then integrated in a linear regression model to predict body fat proportions based on the measured values. The morphometric variables yielded an explained variance (adjusted R2) of 96.42% and body fat proportions were predicted with a mean absolute error of 1.27 ± 0.11% from measured values. We applied the model to predict body fat for available field data, which consistently produced reliable values. By measuring the four morphometric parameters and following the provided instructions, body fat proportions can be reliably and noninvasively estimated in captive or free-ranging common hamsters. Furthermore, the method could be applicable to other rodents after species-specific validation.

Stichwort

body fatcommon hamstermorphometricsmultiple regressionnoninvasivevalidation

Objekt-Typ

journal article

Sprache

Englisch [eng]

Persistent identifier

phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:1588413

DOI

10.1093/jmammal/gyab137

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