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The digestive tract of Macroscelides proboscideus and the effects of diet quality on gut dimensions


A.C. Spinks
M.R. Perrin

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.

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2224-073X
print ISSN: 1562-7020