Small Animal Metabolism

Small Animal Metabolism

Materials:

3 Gerbils (8, 24, 17)

Cage

Circular Tube

2 Plugs

Brown Paper Towel

Weight and Balance

Soap Solution

Drierite

Glass Pipette

Metal Poker

Procedure

Our hypothesis for the Small Animal Metabolism lab was that the gerbil will consume oxygen at a greater rate than a mouse because the gerbil is larger in size. To begin this experiment we obtained a gerbil from a specific cage and weighed it on a balance. After we had weighed the gerbil, we inserted the animal into a circular cage with the aid of paper towel to help minimize physical activity. After the gerbil was put in the circular cage, we then inserted the cage into a larger, circular plastic tube which already had one end plugged with a stopper and drierite at the bottom. The drierite was placed in to tube to absorb the CO2 given off by the animal. To help prevent the animal from coming in contacting the caustic chemical we placed brown paper towel over the top of the drierite. The next step was then to let the animal sit for 45 seconds before plugging up the other end so that tube and gerbil received enough oxygen. Once the 45 second mark was reached we plugged the other end of the plastic tube, and then put the glass pipette in the opening of the one