Journal article
Digestibility, Nitrogen Excretion, and Mean Retention Time by North American Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) Consuming Natural Forages
Physiological and biochemical zoology, Vol.73(6), pp.772-780
11/2000
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/108844
PMID: 11121350
Abstract
North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) subsist
predominantly on low-protein, high-fiber, high-tannin
diets. Therefore, we measured the porcupine's ability to digest dry
matter, fiber, and protein by conducting digestion trials on eight natural
forages and one pelleted ration varying in concentration of fiber,
nitrogen, and tannins. On these diets, dry matter intake ranged from 5 to
234 g/kg0.75/d and dry matter digestibility ranged from 62% to
96%. Porcupines digested highly lignified fiber better than many large
hindgut fermenters and ruminants. The porcupine's ability to digest
fiber may be explained, in part, by their lengthy mean retention time of
particles (
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$$38.43\pm 0.56$$
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h). True nitrogen
digestibility was 92% for nontannin forages and pellets. Endogenous urinary
nitrogen was 205 mg N/kg0.75/d, and metabolic fecal nitrogen
was 2.8 g N/kg dry matter intake. Porcupines achieved nitrogen balance at
relatively low levels of nitrogen intake (346 mg N/kg0.75/d).
Tannins reduced the porcupines' ability to digest protein. However,
the reduction in protein digestion was not predictable from the amount of
bovine serum albumin precipitated. Like many herbivores, porcupines
may ameliorate the effects of certain tannins in natural forages on protein
digestibility through physiological and behavioral
adaptations.
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Details
- Title
- Digestibility, Nitrogen Excretion, and Mean Retention Time by North American Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) Consuming Natural Forages
- Creators
- Laura A FelicettiLisa A ShipleyGary W WitmerCharles T Robbins
- Publication Details
- Physiological and biochemical zoology, Vol.73(6), pp.772-780
- Academic Unit
- Environment, School of the (CAHNRS)
- Publisher
- The University of Chicago Press
- Identifiers
- 99900547241801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article