Abstract
In this paper, the seasonal fluctuations in adrenal glands and its relationship with their body weights, reproduction activity and population density of soft-furred field rat,Rattus meltada pallidior in the Indian desert has been discussed. Results of the present study revealed that the left adrenal gland in both the sexes of rodents was found to be significantly heavier (P<0·01) than the right one. The paired adrenal of female rats was significantly heavier (F<0·001) than those of males. The seasonal variations in adrenal weights of pregnant females were found to be significantly heavier (P<0·01) than those of nonparous females. The adrenal weights of male, pregnant and non-pregnant female rats were found to be significantly correlated with their body weights. Results of this study further revealed that changes in adrenal weights inRattus m. pallidior are functions of body weights which are regulated by the availability of food and its nutritional level.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Christian J J 1955 Effect of population size on the adrenal glands and reproductive organs of male mice in population of fixed size;Am. J. Physiol. 182 292–300
Christian J J 1956 Adrenal and reproductive responses to population size in mice from freely growing populations;Ecology 37 258–273
Christian J J 1962 Seasonal changes in the adrenal glands of Woodchucks (Marmota mortax);Endocrinol. 7 431–447
Christian J J and Davis D E 1955 The reproduction of adrenal weight in rodents by reducing population size;Trans. 20th North Am. Wildlife Conf. pp. 177–184
Christian J J and Davis D E 1964 Adrenal glands in female voles (Microtus pennsylv aniens) as related to reproduction and population size;J. Mammal. 47 1–18
Clarke J R 1953 The effect of fighting on the adrenals, thymus, and spleen of the vole (Microtus agrestis);J. Endocrinol. 9 114–126
Herrick E H 1965 The black-tailed Jack rabbit Kansas N. Endocrine Studies;Kansas Univ. Sci. Bull. 140 73–75
Jain A P 1971 Adrenal weight in the Indian gerbii,Tatera i. indica Hardwicke, as related to body weight and reproduction activity;4 279–288
Prakash Ishwar, Dass B and Taneja G C 1969 Adrenal weight in relation to body weight and reproduction activity in the Indian desert hare,Lepus nigricollis dayanus;J. Anat. Soc. India 2 42–47
Rana B D 1981 Variations in the weight of the adrenal glands ofSuncus murinus sindensis;Annals Zool. 18 115–124
Rana B D and Prakash Ishwar 1981 Reproduction biology of the soft-furred field rat,Rattus meltada pallidior (Ryley 1914) in the Rajasthan desert;J. Bombay nat-Hist. Soc. (In press).
Rana B D, Prakash Ishwar and Jain A P 1975 Variation in the weight of adrenal glands of Cutch-Rock rat,Rattus cutchicus (Wroughton);Mammalia 39 479–486
Rudd R L and Muthen D A 1963 Adrenal gland responses to experimental manipulations of captive pocket gophers (Thomomys unibrinus);J. Mammal. 44 451–466
Seiye H 1936 Thymus and adrenals in response of the organism to injuries and intoxications;Br. J. Expt. Pathol 17 234–248
Southwick C H 1958 Population characteristics of house mice living in English corn ricks: density relationships;Proc. Zool. Soc. London 131 163–175
Southwick C H 1963 Adrenal weights and eosinophil levels ofPeromyscus leucopus in relation to social climate;BulL EcoL Soc. Am. 44 130 (Abstr.)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rana, B.D. The functional demography of adrenal glands inRattus meltada pallidior in Indian desert. Proc Ani Sci 91, 623–629 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03186162
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03186162