Variation in digestive efficiency of captive North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) on various diets
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.20116.abs Energy content, proximate nutrient values, passage rate, and digestive efficiency associated with various diet types and factors affecting these parameters have not been quantified for the North American river otter (Lontra canadensis). We measured energy digestive efficiency (DEff) and intestinal passage rate of three captive river otters on their regular diet (a combination […]
Energy digestibility of giant pandas on bamboo-only and on supplemented diets
Abstract Endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are bears (Family Ursidae), within the order Carnivora. They specialize on an herbivorous diet of bamboo yet retain a gastrointestinal tract typical of their carnivorous ancestry. The evolutionary constraints of their digestive tract result in a low extraction efficiency from bamboo (