Abstract
The digestive anatomy of the round-eared elephant shrew, Macroscelides proboscideus, was investigated. The gut combines features indicative of both insectivory and herbivory. The stomach is a unilocular glandular sac. The caecum is an elongate blind-ending pouch, and houses a diverse microflora. The colon is well developed (25% of gut length). Digestive anatomy supports Kerley's (1995) contention that M. proboscideus is a true omnivore. The gut dimensions of M. proboscideus responded to differences in food quality, animals fed a high fibre diet exhibiting greater caecal capacity than those fed a low fibre diet. This hindgut plasticity is likely to compensate for short-term changes in food quality,
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.
