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  Pythons metabolize prey to fuel the response to feeding

Starck, J. M., Moser, P., Werner, R. A., & Linke, P. (2004). Pythons metabolize prey to fuel the response to feeding. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 271(1542), 903-908. doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2681.

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BGC0713.pdf (Publisher version), 132KB
 
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2681 (Publisher version)
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Starck, J. M., Author
Moser, P., Author
Werner, R. A.1, Author           
Linke, P.2, Author           
Affiliations:
1Service Facility Stable Isotope/Gas Analytics, Dr. W. A. Brand, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Society, ou_1497772              
2Department Biogeochemical Processes, Prof. E.-D. Schulze, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Society, ou_1497751              

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Free keywords: stable isotopes; phenotypic flexibility; specific dynamic action; postprandial response structural flexibility; burmese python; meal size; temperature; digestion; intestine; molurus; snakes; birds; mass
 Abstract: We investigated the energy source fuelling the post-feeding metabolic upregulation (specific dynamic action, SDA) in pythons (Python regius). Our goal was to distinguish between two alternatives: (i) snakes fuel SDA by metabolizing energy depots from their tissues; or (ii) snakes fuel SDA by metabolizing their prey. To characterize the postprandial response of pythons we used transcutaneous ultrasonography to measure organ-size changes and respirometry to record oxygen consumption. To discriminate unequivocally between the two hypotheses, we enriched mice (= prey) with the stable isotope of carbon (C-13). For two weeks after feeding we quantified the CO2 exhaled by pythons and determined its isotopic C-13/C-12 signature. Ultrasonography and respirometry showed typical postprandial responses in pythons. After feeding, the isotope ratio of the exhaled breath changed rapidly to values that characterized enriched mouse tissue, followed by a very slow change towards less enriched values over a period of two weeks after feeding. We conclude that pythons metabolize their prey to fuel SDA. The slowly declining VC values indicate that less enriched tissues (bone, cartilage and collagen) from the mouse become available after several days of digestion.

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 Dates: 2004
 Publication Status: Issued
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 Identifiers: DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2004.2681
Other: BGC0713
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Title: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
  Abbreviation : Proc. R. Soc. B
Source Genre: Journal
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Publ. Info: London : Royal Society
Pages: - Volume / Issue: 271 (1542) Sequence Number: - Start / End Page: 903 - 908 Identifier: ISSN: 0962-8452
CoNE: https://pure.mpg.de/cone/journals/resource/110975500577295_2