Exotic Animal Digestion: Herbivores, Omnivores

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Exotic Animal Digestion Herbivores, Omnivores
Carnivores, oh my
Anything that has no requirement listed by the
NRC
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Herbivores

• Many herbivores do not have upper incisors (the
  teeth on the top jaw in the very front that cut
  food), and cut the plants with their lips
  instead. However, all herbivores need their
  molars (the big flat teeth at the back of the
  mouth) for grinding the mouthfuls of food. A
  herbivore's molars are big and ridged for better
  grinding. Herbivore skulls have spaces for big
  muscles to be attached to move their jaws for so
  much chewing.
• Plants, particularly grasses, are hard to digest.
  Animals that eat plants need to have a particular
  bacteria inside their bodies to help break down
  the tough plants so that they release nutrients ?
  fermentation

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Herbivores

• Consume the more plentiful but less nutrient
  dense environmental food resource.
• Phosphorus and nitrogen are the principal growth
  limiting nutrients associated with herbivorous
  feeding strategies.

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Herbivores

• Ruminants
• Giraffe, antelopes, camel
• Food goes to the rumen and the reticulum, where
  some digestion takes place and is called cud,
  which is brought back up into the animal's mouth
  to be chewed more. The cud is then swallowed and
  goes into the third and fourth parts of the
  stomach, called the omasum and abomasum, where
  digestion continues.
• Ruminants do not need to drink very much water
  because there is moisture in and on the plants
  they eat.

• Non-ruminants
• Zebra, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, elephants
• Fermentation takes place further down their
  digestive system. This means that by the time the
  tough walls of the plant cells are broken down,
  the food has already gone past the part of the
  gut that absorbs most nutrients. This means that
  they have to eat huge quantities in order to get
  enough nutrition
• Non-ruminants pass quite a lot of undigested food
  out of their bodies.

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Ruminant HerbivoresGiraffe
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Non-Ruminant HerbivoresRhinos

• They have to spend about three quarters of the
  day feeding. For grazers, this means a great deal
  of time where they are at greater risk of being
  attacked by predators. They have exquisite
  hearing and long heads, with eyes located high on
  the head and at the sides so they can be on the
  lookout for predators while they graze.

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Non-Ruminant HerbivoresRhinos

• Hindgut fermenters (like horses)
• Smaller stomach and large cecum
• Prehensile lip

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Non-Ruminant HerbivoresElephants

• The tusks (ivory) are actually upper
• incisors, not canines.
• Tusks are used for digging, ripping of bark,
  foraging, resting a heavy trunk, and as weapons
• Tusks are fundamentally no different than
  ordinary teeth
• No more than two of the six teeth are in wear at
  the same time in each side of a jaw
• Teeth grow from the back of the jaw and follow a
  linear pathway of movement forwards as the
  preceding tooth is progressively worn down in the
  front.
• The movement of the elephant's jaw during chewing
  is forwards and backwards, unlike cows who use
  sideways movements to chew this cud.

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• Relationship between cell wall digestibility and
  mean retention time (MRT) of fiber by foregut and
  colon fermenters on a grass hay diet. Red circles
  represent foregut fermenting ruminants and
  camels a) barasigha, b) eland, c) nilgae, d)
  wapiti, e) water buck, f) gaur, g) giraffe, h)
  gemsbok, i) African buffalo, j) American bison,
  k) dromedary camel, and l) bactrian camel. Blue
  circles represent colon fermenting a) Grevys
  zebra, b) mountain zebra, c) plains zebra, d)
  Asian tapir, e) American tapir, f) Asian wild
  ass, g) African elephant, h) Asian elephant, i)
  black rhino, j) Indian rhino, and k) white rhino.
  Yellow triangles represent (1)  red kangaroos on
  an alfalfa diet, river hippos on an (2) alfalfa
  hay or (3) grass diet, and (4) sloths on foliage.

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Ungulates

• Use the tips of their toes (usually hoofed) to
  sustain their body weight while moving
• Horse, zebra, donkey, cattle, rhino, elephant,
  camel, hippo, goat, sheep, giraffe, moose, deer,
  antelope, gazelle, and pig
• Often apply cow nutrition research to exotic
  ungulates, which isnt always the best strategy

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Carnivores

• Cheetah, lion, leopard, jaguar
• Carnivores get more nutrients from their food, so
  they do not need to spend as much time eating as
  herbivores do. Their digestive system is shorter
  than that of herbivores, but they have a big
  stomach.
• Because of the amount of nutrition they get,
  carnivores can go for several days without food.
• Exploit the less plentiful but more nutrient
  dense environmental food resources.
• Organic carbon is the limiting nutrient in the
  diet of a strict carnivore

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Carnivores

• Carnivore's teeth are different from herbivore's
  because of the different food. Carnivores need
  long canine teeth (the teeth at the corners of
  the mouth) so they can grip and kill prey
  quickly. Their incisors strip flesh from bones.
  They don't need molars for grinding food, so they
  have teeth that slice meat - these are called
  carnassial teeth, not molars. Carnivores have a
  shorter jaw than herbivores.

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Carnivores

• Require lots of protein

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Omnivores

• any animal with the capacity to consume and
  digest feed resources from more than one ecologic
  trophic level
• generalists that must possess the ability to not
  only catch and ingest fellow consumers but also
  consume and digest primary producers

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How do we feed these exotic animals in captivity?

• Zebras and Camels can be compared to horses
  exotic fish to commercial species bears and
  wolves to domestic dogs.
• Primates are usually compared to humans, though
  some species have digestive physiology more in
  common with horses.
• Obesity is rare in zoo animals
• The cost of feed is less of an issue in zoos than
  it is in agricultural livestock production
• growth rates are not an issue with zoo animals,
  but longevity and health are

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Platinum Performance Exotic

• Exotic Animal Platinum Performance Formula is a
  comprehensive wellness and anti-aging formula,
  that is rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids,
  trace minerals, high biological value proteins,
  fiber, vitamins, joint protecting agents,
  phytonutrients, and antioxidants. This formula is
  designed to support the immune system, joints,
  bones, muscles, and provide sustained energy.
  Excellent for elephants, cats, rhinos, giraffes,
  primates, and most other Exotic Animals.
• http//www.platinumperformance.com/animal/exotic/

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• Ingredients
• Flax Seed, Flax Oil, Rice Bran, Lactose Free 75
  Whey Protein Concentrate, Sunflower Seed, Soy
  Flour, Cane Molasses, Performance Minerals,
  Zeolite, Calcium Carbonate, Bio-Sponge,
  dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, d-Alpha Tocopheryl
  Acetate, Mixed Tocopherols, Vitamin C (Ascorbic
  Acid), Glucosamine Sulfate, Chromium Yeast,
  Selenium Yeast, Gamma Oryzanol, Pine Bark
  Extract, Aloe Vera Concentrate, Algal Omega-3
  Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), L-Carnitine Tartrate,
  Zinc Gluconate, Magnesium Citrate, Manganese
  Citrate, Copper Gluconate, Cobalt Chelate,
  L-Lysine, L-Arginine, L-Glutamine, Vitamin A,
  Vitamin D3, Iodine Chelate, dl-Methionine,
  Choline Bitartrate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate,
  Riboflavin, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Thiamin,
  Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid.
• Recommended Use
• For small animals
• As a dietary supplement administer 1 level
  teaspoon (3,800mg) twice daily for every 10
  pounds of body weight daily
• For large animals
• As a dietary supplement, administer 1 level 4 oz
  scoop (66g) twice daily per 1000 pounds body
  weight.
• Can be mixed with food for ease of consumption.

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Why is it important to know exotic animal
nutrient requirements?

• So we can enjoy them in zoos
• So zoo animals can maintain a happy, healthy life
• Wild population conservation
• So we can all share the planet and get the food
  we all need (its good we dont all have the same
  requirements - there wouldnt be enough food to
  go around!)

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Make sure they get their calcium, vitamin D,
magnesiumfor healthy bones! MOM, what else do
you need for healthy strong bones?
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References

• Animal Digestion, 2004. www.kidcyber.com.au
• A Bright Future Ahead for Exotic Animal
  Nutrition. European Zoo Nutrition Centre.
  http//www.eznc.org/PrimoSite/show.do?ctx7795,218
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• Dentition. http//elephant.elehost.com/About_Eleph
  ants/Anatomy/Dentition
• M. Edwards, J. Williams, E. Dierenfeld,
  Symposium Companion Animals Exotic Animal
  Nutrition. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 86, E-Suppl. 2/J.
  Dairy Sci. Vol. 91, E-Suppl. http//adsa.asas.org/
  MEETINGS/2008/abstracts/0549.PDF
• Platinum Performance. http//www.platinumperforman
  ce.com/animal/exotic/
• The Digestive System of Vertebrates.
  http//www.cnsweb.org/digestvertebrates/WWWEdSteve
  nsMammalHippopotamus.html