Growth and Food Consumption in the Mamushi, <i>Agkistrodon blomhoffii blomhoffii</i> (Boie), in Captivity

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  • MORIYA Akira
    Kushikino Branch Lab. Central Research Laboratories, Yomeishu Seizo Co., Ltd.
  • HIGASHIZONO Sueo
    Kushikino Branch Lab. Central Research Laboratories, Yomeishu Seizo Co., Ltd.

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Other Title
  • 飼育下におけるニホンマムシの成長と捕食量

Abstract

Seven female and two male newborn mamushis, Agkistrodon b. blomhoffii, were raised to maturity in two years. They were fed weighed mice and did not hibernate as they were kept in a heated room in winter. The means of their body weights and total lengths increased from 6.0g and 22.1cm to 121.3g and 54.7cm. There were cyclic peaks in body weight and total length specific growth rates, and these specific growth rates were correlated in the female. Formulae Y=854X3.278 for females and Y=680X3.224 for males were obtained between total length (X m) and body weight (Y g). The monthly weight of food consumed had a higher correlation to the monthly increment of body weight than to that of total length. Body weight (Y g) was also more correlated to total weight of food consumption (X g) than to total length in both sexes. No significant change was observed in conversion efficiency (increment of body weight/weight of food consumed×100%) due to the age, total length, or body weight in either sex. Mean conversion efficiency of females (22.9%) did not significantly differ from that of males (17.4%). Increments of total length and body weight during two years were correlated with both conversion efficiency and total weight of food consumed, and of these four relations, the increments of body weight and weight of total food consumed showed the highest correlation with each other.

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