Feeding adaptations of wildlife

You are what you eat?

Chocolate pudding, Yippee!!!!

Foods eaten shape anatomy, physiology & behavior

Herbivore Carnivore

• Plants• Stationary• Abundant

• Lo energy & time• Hi success• 10,000 bites/day• Hi intake

• Animals• Mobile• Rare

• Hi energy & time• Lo success• Few prey/day• Lo intake

Food Capture

Food Source

“I think I’ll just have a salad”

Herbivore Carnivore

• Lo & variable in protein and energy

• High fiber in cell wall

• Hi & uniform in protein and energy

• No fiber or cell wall

Food Quality

Cellulose molecule

Herbivore Carnivore

• Much chewing• Complex

digestive tract• Energy &

protein from microbial fermentation

• Little chewing• Simple

digestive tract• Energy &

protein from catabolism

Digesting food

Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore

Mammalian Digestive Systems

Mink Domestic dog

Carnivores

Stomach – HCl & pepsin digestion

Large & small intestines - absorption

Other carnivores

Reptile - Alligator Bird - Hawk

Carnivore with carnassial teeth

Hunting styles of carnivores

• Chasing - pursuit• Ambush – “sit and wait”• Solitary vs. group• Dabble• Dive

Pig Rat

OmnivoresStomach – HCl & pepsin digestion

Small intestine - absorption

Cecum – limited microbial fermentation

Colon – absorption

Human as omnivore

Omnivore with Bunodont teeth

Crop - storageProventriculus – HCl/pepsin digestion

Gizzard - grinding

Omnivorous Bird

Small & large intestines - absorption

Rumen-reticulum – microbial fermentation

Omasum – filtering, orifice restricts digesta flow

Abomasum – HCl & pepsin digestion

Large & small intestines – absorption, microbial fermentation

Cecum – microbial fermentation

Herbivores

Herbivore with selenodont teeth

Herbivore with lophodont teeth

Herbivore digestive systems3 places to ferment cellulose

Foregut Hindgut: cecum Hindgut:colon

List of foregut fermenters

• Artiodactyla– Antilocapridae– Bovidae– Camelidae– Cervidae– Giraffidae– Hippopotamidae– Tragulidae

• Marsupialia– Macropodidae– Vombatidae

• Primates– Cercopithidae

• Edentata– Brachypodidae

Ruminants - Artiodactyla

SheepDik dik

antelope

Other foregut fermenters

Kangaroo Colobus monkey Llama

Hoatzin – the flying cow

Crop is modified for foregut

fermentation

List of hindgut fermenters• Proboscidea

– Elephantidae• Perissodactyla

– Equidae– Rhinocerotidae– Tapiridae

• Lagamorpha– Leporidae– Ochotonidae

• Sirenia– Dugongidae– Trichechidae

• Marsupialia– Petauridae– Phalangeridae– Phascolarctidae

• Primates– Callithricidae– Cebidae– Indridae– Lemuridae

• Rodentia– Aplodontidae– Castoridae– Cricetidae– Dasyproctidae– Erethizontidae– Geomyidae– Hystricidae– Muiridae– Octodontidae– Pedetidae– Sciuridae– Thryonomyidae

Small cecal fermenters

Vole Rabbit

Other cecal fementers

Iguana Ruffed grouse

Rhea

Large colon fermenters

Horse Elephant

Distribution of browsers and grazers

Grazer

Intermediate

Browser

Differences between grasses and browses

• Grasses– Thick cell wall– More cellulose in cell

wall– Silica

• Browses– Thin cell wall– More lignin in cell wall– Phenolics, terpenes, &

other toxins

Differences between grazers & browsers• Grazers

– Large, subdivided foregut– Smaller true stomach– Smaller cecum & intestines– Wider muzzle & incisors

• Browsers– Small, simple foregut– Larger true stomach– Larger cecum & intestines– Narrower muzzle &

incisors

Differences between grazers & browsers• Grazers

– Small opening between reticulum & omasum

• Browsers– Large opening

between reticulum & omasum

Differences between grazers & browsers• Grazers

– Sparse uneven papillae in rumen

• Browsers– Dense, even papillae

in rumen

Differences between grazers & browsers• Grazers

– Smaller salivary glands• Browsers

– Larger salivary glands

You eat what you...

are?