IngentaConnect Studies on digestive physiology and feed digestibilities in capti...

Authors: Clauss M.¹; Polster C.¹; Kienzle E.¹; Wiesner H.²; Baumgartner K.³; von Houwald F.⁴; Ortmann S.⁵; Streich W. J.⁵; Dierenfeld E.S.⁶

Source: Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, Volume 89, Numbers 3-6, April/June 2005 , pp. 229-237(9)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

Summary

We performed intake, digestibility and ingesta passage studies in 11 Indian rhinoceroses (Rhinoceros unicornis) from four zoological institutions, using total faecal collection for the quantification of faecal output. The regularly fed zoo ration of roughage and concentrates (ration RC) and a roughage-only ration (ration R) were used; the roughage source differed between the facilities and comprised grass hay, grass silage, straw and lucerne hay. Dry matter intake ranged between 0.8 and 1.3% of body weight on ration RC and 0.5–1.2% on ration R. Digestibility coefficients achieved were similar to those reported for horses on diets of comparable composition. Endogenous losses as determined by linear regression analysis were within the range reported for horses. Measurements of faecal volatile fatty acids, faecal lactate and faecal pH also showed similarity to similar measurements in horses. The mean retention times of fluids (Co-EDTA) and particles (Cr-mordanted fibre <2 mm) in the whole gastrointestinal tract averaged 42 and 61 h, respectively, and were the longest ever recorded in a monogastric ungulate with this marker system. The results suggest that the horse is a useful model animal for designing diets for Indian rhinoceroses. Why digestive parameters are similar between these species in spite of enormous differences in body weight and retention times remains to be answered.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00546.x

Affiliations: 1: Institute of Animal Physiology, Physiological Chemistry and Animal Nutrition, Munich, Germany, 2: Zoological Garden ‘Hellabrunn’, Munich, Germany, 3: Zoological Garden Nürnberg, Germany, 4: Zoological Garden Basle, Basle, Switzerland, 5: Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) Berlin, Berlin, Germany, and 6: Department of Animal Health and Nutrition, St Louis Zoo, St Louis, MO, USA

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Studies on digestive physiology and feed digestibilities in captive Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)