Lactation and resource limitation affect stress responses, thyroid hormones, immune function, and antioxidant capacity of sea otters (Enhydra lutris).

ABSTRACT: Lactation is the most energetically demanding stage of reproduction in female mammals. Increased energetic allocation toward current reproduction may result in fitness costs, although the mechanisms underlying these trade-offs are not well understood. Trade-offs during lactation may include reduced energetic allocation to cellular maintenance, immune response, and survival and may be influenced by resource limitation. As the smallest marine mammal, sea otters (Enhydra lutris) have the highest mass-specific metabolic rate necessitating substantial energetic requirements for survival. To provide the increased energy needed for lactation, female sea otters significantly increase foraging effort, especially during late-lactation. Caloric insufficiency during lactation is reflected in th

SUBMITTER: Chinn SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6145021 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature