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First published online February 15, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 938-944 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02063

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Respiration by buried echidnas Tachyglossus aculeatus

Courtney A. Waugh, Gordon C. Grigg, David T. Booth^* and Lyn A. Beard

School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia 4072

View larger version (16K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Voltage output from the movement sensor when attached to the shoulder region of a buried echidna. (A) Lung ventilation movements; increase in voltage represents inspiration, and decrease, expiration. (B) `Flushing movements', indicated by dark horizontal bars as well as lung ventilation movements.

View larger version (29K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. The relationship between theoretical values, as predicted by the model (Seymour and Seely, 1996), and mean empirical measurements, from five echidna buried in kitty litter (fa=0.58). The curves are calculated from an equation for echidna tidal volume (Bech et al., 1992) and O2 of a 2.9 kg echidna buried in kitty litter. The upper curve represents an individual with a resting metabolic rate at steady state. The lower curve represents an individual with higher metabolic rate while actively burrowing into the substrate. Theoretical and empirically measured values were compared using paired Student t-test (minimum values, P=0.067; steady state values, P=0.241).

View larger version (29K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. The relationship between theoretical values, as predicted by the model (Seymour and Seely, 1996), and mean empirical measurements from five echidna buried in coarse sand (fa=0.42). The curves are calculated from an equation for echidna tidal volume (Bech et al., 1992) the O2 of a 2.9 kg echidna buried in sand. The upper curve represents an individual with a resting metabolic rate at steady state. The lower curve represents an individual with higher metabolic rate while actively burrowing into the substrate. Theoretical and empirically measured values were compared using paired Student t-test (minimum values, P=0.010; steady state values, P=0.001).

View larger version (38K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. The relationship between flushing movements and the PO2 profiles surrounding echidnas while buried in two different media. Movements, shown by the dotted vertical lines, are associated with fluctuations in PO2 until a steady state is reached where the PO2 levels stay constant over time. Different symbols represent the PO2 values in the medium away from the snout region of the echidna. (A) Typical echidnas buried in kitty litter. (B) Typical echidnas buried in coarse sand.