Fietz Joanna, Pflug M, Schlund W, Tataruch F
Department of Animal Physiology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.
J Comp Physiol B. 2005 Jan;175(1):45-55. doi: 10.1007/s00360-004-0461-1. Epub 2004 Nov 25.
The edible dormouse (Glis glis) is a small rodent and an obligate hibernator. Dormice undergo strong fluctuations of reproductive output during years that seem to be timed to coincide with future food supply. This behaviour enables them to avoid producing young that will starve with a high probability due to food shortage, and to increase their lifetime reproductive success. Aims of this study were to elucidate the extent to which feeding ecology in the edible dormouse has an impact on body mass and the fatty acid (FA) pattern of the white adipose tissue (WAT) before and after hibernation, which in turn might influence reproductive status in spring. Dormice show strong seasonal fluctuations of the body mass, which is reduced by one third during hibernation. Body mass and its changes depend on autumnal food availability as well as on the dietary FA pattern. During the pre-hibernation fattening period, dormice eat lipid rich food with a high content of linoleic acid. During hibernation, linoleic acid content is slightly but significantly reduced and body mass loss during winter is negatively correlated with the pre-hibernation linoleic acid content in the WAT. No relation between reproductive status and body mass, body condition or the FAs pattern of the WAT could be detected. However, in a year of high reproduction, dormice commence the shift to seed eating earlier than in a year of low reproduction. These seeds could be either a predictor for future food supply in autumn, or represent a high-energy food compensating high energetic costs of sexual activity in male edible dormice.
食用睡鼠（Glis glis）是一种小型啮齿动物，也是 obligate 冬眠动物。睡鼠在某些年份的繁殖产出会出现剧烈波动，这些波动似乎与未来的食物供应时间相吻合。这种行为使它们能够避免生下因食物短缺而极有可能挨饿的幼崽，并提高其一生的繁殖成功率。本研究的目的是阐明食用睡鼠的取食生态在多大程度上影响冬眠前后白色脂肪组织（WAT）的体重和脂肪酸（FA）模式，而这反过来可能会影响春季的繁殖状态。睡鼠的体重呈现出强烈的季节性波动，在冬眠期间会减少三分之一。体重及其变化取决于秋季的食物供应情况以及饮食中的脂肪酸模式。在冬眠前的育肥期，睡鼠食用富含脂质且亚油酸含量高的食物。在冬眠期间，亚油酸含量略有但显著降低，并且冬季的体重减轻与冬眠前WAT中的亚油酸含量呈负相关。未检测到繁殖状态与体重、身体状况或WAT的脂肪酸模式之间存在关联。然而，在繁殖率高的年份，睡鼠比繁殖率低的年份更早开始转向食用种子。这些种子可能是秋季未来食物供应的预测指标，或者代表一种高能食物，可补偿雄性食用睡鼠性行为的高能量消耗。
