Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Feb 9;12(2):e0171082.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171082. eCollection 2017.

Ontogenetic comparisons of standard metabolism in three species of crocodilians

C M Gienger  1 , Matthew L Brien  1   2 , Christopher R Tracy  1 , S Charlie Manolis  2 , Grahame J W Webb  1   2 , Roger S Seymour  3 , Keith A Christian  1
Affiliations

Ontogenetic comparisons of standard metabolism in three species of crocodilians

C M Gienger et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Due in part to their large size, aggressive temperament, and difficulty in handling, there are few physiological studies of adult crocodilians in the literature. As a result, studies comparing individuals across an ontogenetic series and comparisons among species are also lacking. We addressed this gap in knowledge by measuring standard metabolic rates (SMR) of three species of crocodilians (Crocodylus porosus, C. johnsoni, and Alligator mississippiensis), and included individuals that ranged from 0.22 to 114 kg. Allometric scaling of SMR with body mass was similar among the species, but C. porosus had significantly higher SMR than did C. johnsoni or A. mississippiensis. Differences in SMR among species are potentially related to behavioural differences in levels of aggression; C. porosus are the most aggressive of the crocodilians measured, and have rates of standard metabolism that are approximately 36% higher at the grand mean body size than those measured for C. johnsoni or A. mississippiensis, which are among the least aggressive crocodilians.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Scaling of standard metabolism (O2 consumption) for three species of crocodilians measured at 30°C.
The highly aggressive Crocodylus porosus has significantly higher standard metabolism than the less aggressive Crocodylus johnsoni and Alligator mississippiensis. Inset figure shows mass-independent means (bars) and standard errors (error bars) of O2 consumption. Species not connected by same letter are significantly different.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Coulson RA, Hernandez T. Alligator metabolism, studies on chemical reactions in vivo. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 1983;74(1):1–182. - PubMed
    1. Coulson RA, Herbert JD, Coulson TD. Biochemistry and physiology of alligator metabolism in vivo. Am Zool. 1989;29(3):921–34.
    1. Coulson TD, Coulson RA, Hernandez T. Some observations on the growth of captive alligators. Zoologica. 1973;58(2):47–52.
    1. Garnett ST, Murray RM. Parameters affecting the growth of the estuarine crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, in captivity. Aust J Zool. 1986;34(2):211–23.
    1. Webb GJW, Cooper-Preston H. Effects of incubation temperature on crocodiles and the evolution of reptilian oviparity. Am Zool. 1989;29(3):953–71.