Energy metabolism of underwater swimming in river-otters ( Lutra lutra L.)
Abstract
We used a still-water swim channel in conjunction with open-flow oxygen and carbon dioxide respirometry to examine the energy requirements of river-otters (Lutra lutra L.) swimming voluntarily underwater in Neumünster Zoo (Germany). While at rest on land (5 degrees C), river-otters had a respiratory quotient of 0.77 and a resting metabolic rate of 4.1 W kg-1. This increased to an estimated 6.4 W kg-1 during rest in water (11-15 degrees C) and to 12.3 W kg-1 when the animals were feeding in the channel. River-otters swimming under water preferred a mean speed of 0.89 m s-1, and their energy requirements attained 11.6 W kg-1. Cost of transport, however, was minimal at 1.3 m s-1 and amounted to 0.95 J N-1 m-1.
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Thermoregulation in water is the primary source of energy expenditure for river otters while foraging, rather than locomotion.
“thermo‐regulation in water is their primary source of energy expenditure while foraging (rather than locomotion) (Kruuk et al. 1997; Pfeiffer and Culik 1998).”
From River Otter Predation of Nesting Seabirds Along the Coasts of North America (2025) · cites this paper as Pfeiffer and Culik 1998
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River Otter Predation of Nesting Seabirds Along the Coasts of North America
Stuntz, L., & Orben, R. A. (2025) · Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.1002/ece3.72118
“River otters have a high basal metabolism relative to similarly sized mammals (Kruuk et al. 1994; Ben-David et al. 2000), and thermo-regulation in water is their primary source of energy expenditure while foraging (rather than locomotion) (Kruuk et al. 1997; Pfeiffer and Culik 1998).”
- Authors
- Pfeiffer, P., & Culik, B. M.
- Affiliations
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (DE)
- Venue
- Journal of Comparative Physiology B: Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology
- Published
- 1998-03-09
- Volume
- 168
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 143-148
- ISSN
- 0174-1578 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-136X
- OpenAlex
- W1986486261
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 2.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Comparative Physiology B (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Marine animal studies overview
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- river otter, Lutra lutra, underwater swimming, energy metabolism, metabolic rate, cost of transport, respiratory quotient, oxygen consumption, CO2 emissions, aquatic locomotion, water temperature
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animal Welfare, Energy Metabolism, Fresh Water, Germany, Otters, Oxygen Consumption, Respiration, Swimming, Time and Motion Studies
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