Abstract
Exclusive frugivory is rare. As a food resource, fruit is temporally and spatially patchy, low in protein, and variable in terms of energy yield from different carbohydrate types. Here, we evaluate the digestive physiology of two frugivorous Carnivora species (Potos flavus, Arctictis binturong) that converge with primates in a diversity of ecological and anatomical traits related to fruit consumption. We conducted feeding trials to determine mean digestive retention times (MRT) on captive animals at the Carnivore Preservation Trust (now Carolina Tiger Rescue), Pittsboro, NC. Fecal samples were collected on study subjects for in vitro analysis to determine methane, pH, and short chain fatty acid profiles; fiber was assayed using standard neutral detergent (NDF) and acid detergent (ADF) fiber methods. Results indicate that both carnivoran species have rapid digestive passage for mammals that consume a predominantly plant-based diet: A. binturong MRT = 6.5 hrs (0.3); P. flavus MRT = 2.5 hrs (1.6). In vitro experiments revealed no fermentation of structural polysaccharides – methane levels did not shift from 0 h to either 24 or 48 hours and no short chain fatty acids were detected. In both species, however, pH declined from one incubation period to another suggesting acidification and bacterial activity of microbes using soluble carbohydrates. A comparison with primates indicates that the study species are most similar in digestive retention times to Ateles – the most frugivorous anthropoid primate taxon.
Highlights
Most specialist mammalian frugivores are found in the tropics where fruit is more likely to be available year-round compared to regions with more extreme seasons
Sample collection and laboratory analysis of in vitro bacterial fermentation profiles We evaluated bacterial fermentation using standard in vitro methods on fecal samples collected from study subjects collected December 2008 – February 2010
The total recovery rate of markers swallowed by P. flavus was 97.5% (78/80), and by A. binturong was 91.4% (64/70)
Summary
Most specialist mammalian frugivores are found in the tropics where fruit is more likely to be available year-round compared to regions with more extreme seasons. While often described as a ‘‘highquality’’ food [5,6,7], fruit is not without its limitations and frugivorous mammals must have adaptations for balancing macronutrient intake, modulating physiology to offset deficiencies, or switching foods altogether to cope with limiting availability and nutrient density [8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. Recent macronutrient analyses have demonstrated that highly frugivorous primate species (e.g., Ateles spp) target ideal protein to energy ratios by maintaining a fairly constant protein intake (as measured by dietary nitrogen; N) while allowing non-protein energy (carbohydrates + lipids) to vary as a function of nutritional composition of available foods [13,14]. The type of carbohydrates consumed by an animal – and how efficiently energy is extracted and utilized – will limit just how fast digestive passage can be
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
