Water regulation in Barmer goat of the Rajasthan desert

The different body fluid compartments in normally watered and 4-day water-deprived goats of Rajasthan desert, India, were measured in autumn. The goats maintained plasma volume and extracellular fluid volume, but lost gut and cell water considerably under the experimental conditions; indicating that the maintenance of the fluidity of the blood has priority over the body's other fluid requirements in this desert-adapted species during water deprivation.