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Methane output of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) fed a hay-only diet: implications for the scaling of methane production with body mass in non-ruminant mammalian herbivores.
Abstract: It is assumed that small herbivores produce negligible amounts of methane, but it is unclear whether this is a physiological peculiarity or simply a scaling effect. A respiratory chamber experiment was conducted with six rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus, 1.57±0.31 kg body mass) and six guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus, 0.79±0.07 kg) offered grass hay ad libitum. Daily dry matter (DM) intake and DM digestibility were 50±6 g kg⁻⁰·⁷⁵ d⁻¹ and 55±6% in rabbits and 59±11 g kg⁻⁰·⁷⁵ d⁻¹ and 61±3% in guinea pigs, respectively. Methane production was similar for both species (0.20±0.10 L d⁻¹ and 0.22±0.08L d⁻¹ and represented 0.69±0.32 and 1.03±0.29% of gross energy intake in rabbits and guinea pigs, respectively. In relation to body mass (BM) guinea pigs produced significantly more methane. The data on methane per unit of BM obtained in this study and from the literature on the methane output of elephant, wallabies and hyraxes all lay close to a regression line derived from roughage-fed horses, showing an increase in methane output with BM. The regression, including all data, was nearly identical to that based on the horse data only (methane production in horses [L d⁻¹]=0.18 BM [kg]⁰·⁹⁷(⁹⁵%CI ⁰·⁹²⁻¹·⁰²)) and indicates linear scaling. Because feed intake typically scales to BM⁰·⁷⁵, linear scaling of methane output translates into increasing energetic losses at increasing BM. Accordingly, the data collection indicates that an increasing proportion of ingested gross energy is lost because relative methane production increases with BM. Different from ruminants, such losses (1%-2% of gross energy) appear too small in non-ruminant herbivores to represent a physiologic constraint on body size. Nevertheless, this relationship may represent a physiological disadvantage with increasing herbivore body size.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2010-10-30 PubMed ID: 20971203DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2010.10.019Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research aims at understanding the methane production of small non-ruminant herbivores, particularly rabbits and guinea pigs, and whether it correlates with their body mass. The findings suggest that the assumption about small herbivores producing a negligible amount of methane may not hold true, and highlight a possibility of increasing methane production with an increase in body mass in non-ruminant herbivores.
Experiment Details and Results
- The study was conducted on six rabbits and six guinea pigs that were offered grass hay ad libitum in a respiratory chamber. Their body mass, food intake, digestion, and methane production were carefully monitored and recorded.
- Daily dry matter intake and digestibility reflected similar patterns in both animals. While rabbits had numbers of 50±6 g kg⁻⁰·⁷⁵ d⁻¹ and 55±6%, guinea pigs stood at 59±11 g kg⁻⁰·⁷⁵ d⁻¹ and 61±3%, respectively.
- Methane production in both species was closely matched. Rabbits produced 0.20±0.10 L d⁻¹ – or about 0.69±0.32% of their gross energy intake, while guinea pigs had slightly higher numbers at 0.22±0.08L d⁻¹ and 1.03±0.29% of their gross energy intake.
Comparative Study and Conclusions
- When methane production was analyzed against body mass, guinea pigs were found to produce significantly more methane than rabbits.
- Data from this study was compared with available literature on elephants, wallabies, and hyraxes’ methane output. A similar pattern was observed, suggesting an increase in methane output with an increase in body mass.
- Analysis indicates a linear scaling between body mass (BM) and methane production. This suggests that more energy is lost in the form of methane as the body mass increases, implying that a larger proportion of the ingested gross energy is lost as the herbivore’s body size increases.
- Compared to ruminants, the percentage of lost energy (1%-2% of gross energy) seems small in non-ruminant herbivores. However, this data could signify a physiological disadvantage with an increase in the herbivore’s body size.
Cite This Article
APA
Franz R, Soliva CR, Kreuzer M, Hummel J, Clauss M.
(2010).
Methane output of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) fed a hay-only diet: implications for the scaling of methane production with body mass in non-ruminant mammalian herbivores.
Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol, 158(1), 177-181.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2010.10.019 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed
- Animals
- Body Weight
- Diet
- Guinea Pigs / metabolism
- Methane / biosynthesis
- Methane / metabolism
- Rabbits / metabolism
- Regression Analysis
- Species Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Chaucheyras-Durand F, Sacy A, Karges K, Apper E. Gastro-Intestinal Microbiota in Equines and Its Role in Health and Disease: The Black Box Opens. Microorganisms 2022 Dec 19;10(12).
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- Liu S, Yuan M, Jin D, Wang Z, Zou H, Wang L, Xue B, Wu D, Tian G, Cai J, Yan T, Peng Q. Effects of the particle of ground alfalfa hay on the growth performance, methane production and archaeal populations of rabbits. PLoS One 2018;13(9):e0203393.
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- Mi L, Yang B, Hu X, Luo Y, Liu J, Yu Z, Wang J. Comparative Analysis of the Microbiota Between Sheep Rumen and Rabbit Cecum Provides New Insight Into Their Differential Methane Production. Front Microbiol 2018;9:575.
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