Modern Weights and Measurements of Wild Lions

[LandSeaLion]

(02-13-2022, 05:10 AM)SpinoRex Wrote:

Quote:https://www.researchgate.net/publication...Strategies

Average digestible energy intakes (DEI) of individual cats are plotted against body mass in Figure 3. A large difference in energy intakes of lions and tigers was evident. For example, the DEI of large male lions was only about half that of the similarly sized male Bengal X Siberian tigers. The natural logarithm (In) of digestible energy intake was plotted against In body mass to examine the scaling of energy intake to body mass (Figure 4). All cats did not appear to follow the same scaling relationship. For example, lions and young clouded leopards appeared to fall on the predicted line that represents extrapolation of the maintenance energy requirements of domestic cats, but cheetahs, Sumatran tigers and Bengal X Siberian tigers had considerably higher energy intakes.

This study is talking about the digestive efficiency of captive cats, rather than the food intake of wild cats:

Quote:Twenty five felids, housed at the National Zoological Park, Washington, DC and at the Conservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia were used in the trials. The cats represented five species/subspecies: clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa
(n = 9) , cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus n = 6) , Sumatran tiger , Panthera tigris sumatrae (n = 4), lion, Panthera leo (n = 4) and Bengal/Siberian tiger , Panthera tigris tigris/Panthera tigris altaica (n = 2) .

Most cats had access to both indoor and outdoor enclosures during each 4-6 day digestion trial, with the exception of cheetahs. Cheetahs were maintained in outdoor enclosures but had access to heated shelters during inclement weather . Clouded leopards had unrestricted access to indoor and outdoor enclosures. Their building is cool in summer and heated to maintain at least 21 degrees C in the winter. Lions and tigers were maintained in both indoor (heated and cooled) and outdoor enclosures during digestion trials and spent approximately 50% of their days in each area. Ambient daily temperatures were recorded during each of the four digestion trials.

Cats were individually fed raw, horsemeat-based diets that have been shown to maintain body weight. Seven clouded leopards were fed Nebraska Brand Frozen Feline Diet (Animal Spectrum, North Platte, Nebraska, 69103) and two were fed Nebraska Brand Frozen Canine Diet (Animal Spectrum, North Platte Nebraska 69103). All other cats received Canine Diet. Food samples were taken during each trial and frozen for later analysis. Cats were weighed before and after each digestion trial. Chromic oxide was homogeneously mixed into the ration at a rate of 0.5% of dry matter. Fecal samples were collected daily and frozen. Lions, tigers and cheetahs were fed separately but otherwise were housed in pairs or groups. Feces voided by individual lions, tigers and cheetahs were distinguished by the presence of 15-20 grains (cracked corn, safflower, and millet) that had been mixed into the food before feeding. Upon thawing, feces from each cat were pooled for each trial, and grains and contaminating hair were manually removed. Food and feces were oven dried at 55 degrees C and ground in a Wiley mill to pass a 2 mm mesh screen. Subsamples of food and feces were assayed for crude protein by macro-Kjeldahl (TN X 6.25), fat by Soxhlet ether extraction, energy by Adiabatic bomb calorimetry and chromium by atomic absorption spectroscopy after perchloric and nitric acid digestion.

I found this bit interesting though:

Quote:We speculate that different species of cats have developed diverse metabolic strategies, and that these strategies involve considerable differences in maintenance energy requirements (Emmons, 1991). Some, such as clouded leopards and lions, appear to have relatively low energy expenditures that conserve energy by minimizing activity. Others, such as cheetahs and tigers, appear to expend considerably more energy, which is presumably related to foraging style. Although logistically difficult, the measurement of energy expenditures, via doubly labeled water, of various cat species under field conditions might help explain the differences reported here.

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