Re: Sauropod drinking

[Richard W Travsky <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

On Mon, 13 Jul 1998, Graeme Worth wrote:
> >Wow, that'd be a LOT of vegetation - considering that a creature that
> >size would already need a lot, but to get its moisture requirements
> >out of the same source...
> 
> Not necessarily. It depends on the vegetation. As an example, european
> rabbits survive quite happily on the Nullabor in desert Australia because
> what vegetation there is is semi-succulent and contains sufficient water
> that the rabbits never actually need to drink. If the right vegetation was
> around in the Jurassic/Cretaceous, then given the large amounts being
> consumed by sauropods it might be quite reasonable for them to get what
> water they needed from this source.

I considered examples like that, but I have a feeling there's
probably an upper limit on body size for this to be practical (and
survivable).

What's the largest contemporary animal that obtains its water this way?

rich