摘要：Lactation is the most energetically demanding period in small mammals. To investigate the energy balance strategies in lactating Apodemus chevrieri, we compared body mass, energy intake, thermogenic capacity, organ mass and other morphological parameters of the digestive tract of reproductive and non-reproductive females. The results showed that at parturition, mean body mass was 23.89% higher than that of the non-reproductive group. Over the course of the lactation period (from day 0 to day 21), females decreased by 24.30% in body mass and increased by 21.46% in resting metabolic rate (RMR), then all reached the original levels at day 30. Non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) decreased significantly and reached a minimum at peak lactation (on day 21). During lactation, mean NST was 18.55% lower than that of the non-reproductive group. At the same time, lactating A. chevrieri increased their energy intake significantly. Energy intake increased after parturition and reached a maximum at day 21 of lactation (216.46 kJ/day), 2.57 times that in the non-reproductive group, and then energy intake significantly decreased and reached the original level at day 30. Liver mass, digestive tract length and weight increased significantly in the lactating group compared to the non-reproductive group. All of the results indicated that A. chevrieri increased RMR and energy intake, decreased NST and body mass and mobilised the digestive tract to match the high energy demands for lactation.
关键词：Apodemus chevrieri; lactation; energy intake; thermogenesis
