Body Surface Area Prediction in Odorrana grahami

Abstract

Body surface area (BSA) was regarded as a more readily quantifiable parameter relative to body mass in the normalization of comparative biochemistry and physiology. The BSA prediction has attracted unceasing research back more than a century on animals, especially on humans and rats. Few studies in this area for anurans were reported, and the equation for body surface area (5) and body mass (W): S = 9.9 W-0.56, which was concluded from toads of four species in 1969, was generally adopted to estimate the body surface areas for anurans until recent years. However, this equation was not applicable to Odorrana grahami. The relationship between body surface area and body mass for this species was established as: S = 15.4 W-0.579. Our current results suggest estimation equations should be used cautiously across different species and body surface area predictions on more species need to be conducted.