Body Size and Metabolic Rate in Salamanders

W HEN the metabolic rates of large and small individuals of the same species or different species are compared, small animals are found to have the highest metabolic rate; that is, small organisms consume more oxygen per unit weight than large ones. Metabolism is generally more uniform when expressed as a power function of body weight. The relationship between body size and metabolic rate has been extensively reviewed by Kleiber (1947), Hemmingsen (1950, 1960) and Zeuten (1953). These authors state that the relationship between body size and metabolism is similar for homeotherms and