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Cited by 176Physiological and biochemical adaptationsAmphibian and Reptile BiologyVenomous Animal Envenomation and Studies

Determinants of the Postfeeding Metabolic Response of Burmese Pythons, Python molurus

Secor, Stephen M., Diamond, Jared·1997·Physiological Zoology
DOI 10.1086/639578
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Abstract

The relatively large meal sizes consumed by sit-and-wait-foraging snake species make them favorable for investigating specific dynamic action, the rise in metabolic rate associated with digestion. Hence, we measured O2 consumption rates (VO2) before and up to 20 d after Burmese pythons (Python molurus) either had only constricted and killed rodent meals or had also been allowed to consume meals ranging in size from 5% to 111% of their body mass. Postprandial VO2 peaked within 2 d at a value that increased with meal size, up to 44 times standard metabolic rate for the largest meals. In addition to being the largest known magnitude of postprandial metabolic response, this also exceeds the factorial increase in VO2 during peak physical activity for all studied animals except perhaps racehorses. Specific dynamic action, calculated from the extra VO2 above standard metabolic rate over the duration of digestion, increased with meal size and equaled 32% of ingested meal energy. The allometric exponent for body mass was 0.68 for standard metabolic rate, 0.90 for peak postprandial VO2, and 1.01 for specific dynamic action. Specific dynamic action is higher, and standard metabolic rate is lower, in sit-and-wait-foraging snake species than in actively foraging snake species. This suggests that sit-and-wait-foraging snakes, which consume large meals at long and unpredictable intervals, reduce standard metabolic rate by allowing the energetically expensive small intestine and other associ…

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  • The peak factorial increase in metabolism following feeding (=RMR_pp/BMR) is positively correlated with body mass in mammals.

    “The peak factorial increase in metabolism following feeding (=RMR pp /BMR) is therefore positively correlated with body mass in mammals, as has been documented intraspecifically for Burmese pythons Python molurus (Secor and Diamond, 1997) and cane toads Bufo marinus (Secor and Faulkner, 2002).”

    From Allometric scaling of mammalian metabolism (2005) · cites this paper as Secor and Diamond, 1997

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Authors
Secor, S. M., & Diamond, J.
Affiliations
University of California, Los Angeles (US)
ORCID
Secor, Stephen M.
Venue
Physiological Zoology
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Published
1997-03
Volume
70
Issue
2
Pages
202-212
ISSN
0031-935X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1086/639578
OpenAlex
W2233039892
Cited by
176
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 3
FWCI
11.80
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Physiological Zoology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5f32dk008878-03)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM-14772)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK 08878)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Physiological and biochemical adaptations
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Amphibian and Reptile Biology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
Keywords
Burmese python, Python molurus, specific dynamic action, meal size, sit-and-wait foraging, standard metabolic rate, allometric scaling, oxygen consumption
MeSH terms
Animals, Body Weight, Digestion, Eating, Energy Metabolism, Feeding Behavior, Oxygen Consumption, Time Factors, Boidae

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