Energetics of swimming by the ferret: Consequences of forelimb paddling.

Wednesday, July 26th, 2006 at 9:30 am

Well – for all you scientists out there who are interested in a paddling ferret’s stroke … read on!

I wish I could say it made sense to me but ….. alas, ’twas all gobblydeegook. However – what fun to do research on ferrets! Of course as long as no ferrets were hurt in the studies!!

Fish FE, Baudinette RV.Department of Biology, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383, USA.

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) swims by alternate strokes of the forelimbs. This pectoral paddling is rare among semi-aquatic mammals.

The energetic implications of swimming by pectoral paddling were examined by kinematic analysis and measurement of oxygen consumption. Ferrets maintained a constant stroke frequency, but increased swimming speed by increasing stroke amplitude.

The ratio of swimming velocity to foot stroke velocity was low, indicating a low propulsive efficiency. Metabolic rate increased linearly with increasing speed. The cost of transport decreased with increasing swimming speed to a minimum of 3.59+/-0.28 J N(-1) m(-1) at U=0.44 m s(-1).

The minimum cost of transport for the ferret was greater than values for semi-aquatic mammals using hind limb paddling, but lower than the minimum cost of transport for the closely related quadrupedally paddling mink.

Differences in energetic performance may be due to the amount of muscle recruited for propulsion and the interrelationship hydrodynamic drag and interference between flow over the body surface and flow induced by propulsive appendages.

PMID: 16861018 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]