A microscopical examination of the gastric morphology of the white-tailed rat<i>Mystromys albicaudatus</i>(Smith 1834)

Maddock, A.H.; Perrin, M.R.

doi:10.1080/02541858.1981.11447762

Cited by 12 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The original hypothesis is based on an analogy with the digestive system of ruminants. While symbiotic bacilli have been described in Mystromys albicaudatus (Maddock and Perrin 1981, 1983, Perrin and Kokkinn 1986, the presence of cellulolytic gastric symbionts has yet to be documented for most herbivorous rodents (Carleton 1973). The extension of the hypothesis is based on the assumption that species that are opportunistic in habitat selection use more high-energy foods than those that are restricted to more stable habitats (Fulk 1975, Perrin andCurtis 1980).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship among diet, alimentary tract morphology, and life history for five species of rodents from the central Argentine pampa

Ellis¹,

Mills²,

Kennedy³

et al. 1994

Acta Theriol.

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. 1994. The relationship among diet, alimentary tract morphology, and life history for five species of rodents from the central Argentine pampa. Acta theriol. 39: 345-355.A suite of characters describing digestive tract structure has been hypothesized to reflect the relative degree of specialization of the digestive system of rodent species along a continuum from a proteinaceous diet of seeds and insects to a cellulosic diet of vegetation. Similarly, it has been proposed that life history traits might reflect diet and digestive tract structure, with the most opportunistic species consuming the most energy-rich diets of seeds and insects. The five members of the rodent assemblage of agroecosystems of the Argentine pampa were found to be omnivores and varied in the relative proportions of seeds, insects, and vegetation consumed. On a gross level, diet reflected life history; the most opportunistic species (smallest body size, highest fecundity, preference for disturbed habitats) consumed the most energy-rich diet, while the least opportunistic species consumed the most vegetation. However, comparative digestive tract structure was generally converse to that predicted, based on diet. Failure to observe predicted correlations may be due in part to seasonal variability in diet, lack of evolutionary relevance of crop habitats, or flaws in the underlying hypotheses. Alternatively, the observed variation in digestive tract structure may reflect the spectrum of variation encountered within an omnivore rodent guild rather than the degree of food specialization.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship among diet, alimentary tract morphology, and life history for five species of rodents from the central Argentine pampa

Ellis¹,

Mills²,

Kennedy³

et al. 1994

Acta Theriol.

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“…The rich bacterial flora of the forestomach (corpus) is separated from the glandular stomach (antrum) by a nonglandular chamber (pregastric pouch) and a bordering fold (grenzfalte) of tissue (Maddock and Perrin 1981). The high density of corpal bacteria, stomach sacculations and simple caecum of the white-tailed rat suggest that it is the fore stomach that is important in microbial fermentation processes (Maddock 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The white-tailed rat M ystrom ys albicaudatus (A. Smith, 1834), has a bilocular hemiglandular stomach (Maddock and Perrin 1981). The rich bacterial flora of the forestomach (corpus) is separated from the glandular stomach (antrum) by a nonglandular chamber (pregastric pouch) and a bordering fold (grenzfalte) of tissue (Maddock and Perrin 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of different diets on the amount of organic acid produced in the digestive tract of Mystromys albicaudatus

Mahida¹,

Perrin²

1994

Acta Theriol.

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M. 1994. The effect of different diets on the amount of organic acid produced in the digestive tract of Mystromys albicaudatus. Acta theriol. 39: 21-27.The white-tailed rat Mystromys albicaudatus (A. Smith, 1834) has a sacculated bilocular hemiglandular stomach. Its forestomach resembles a rumen, in that it has papillae and a high density of bacteria. This suggests that the forestomach of the white-tailed rat may be functionally similar to a rumen. Although the fermentation of fibre is very limited in the digestive tract of the white-tailed rat, the determination of total foregut ferm entation relative to caecal fermentation was essential since ingested soluble carbohydrates may also be fermented by the forestomach bacteria. The present study investigated the effects of different diets (varying in proximate composition) on the pH, volatile fatty acid and lactic acid production for the various regions of the gut. The results indicate that M. albicaudatus is essentially a hindgut fermenter. IntroductionThe white-tailed rat M ystrom ys albicaudatus (A. Smith, 1834), has a bilocular hemiglandular stomach (Maddock and Perrin 1981). The rich bacterial flora of the forestomach (corpus) is separated from the glandular stomach (antrum) by a nonglandular chamber (pregastric pouch) and a bordering fold (grenzfalte) of tissue (Maddock and Perrin 1981). The high density of corpal bacteria, stomach sacculations and simple caecum of the white-tailed rat suggest that it is the fore stomach that is important in microbial fermentation processes (Maddock 1981). Superficially the forestomach resembles a rumen since it has papillae and a high density of bacteria. However, it differs from the rumen in that the papillae are not absorptive and the bacteria are associated with the epithelium while the bacteria in ruminants are mostly free-living. It appears that the forestomach of the white-tailed rat is in part functionally similar to the rumen. Although the fermentation of fibre is very limited in the digestive tract of the white-tailed rat (Mahida 1992), the determination of total foregut fermentation relative to caecal fermentation was essential since ingested soluble carbohydrates may also be fermented by the corpal bacteria.The pH of various regions of the gut of M. albicaudatus was measured because microbial fermentation is most effective at a pH close to neutrality, and the pH of a given region of the gut reflects the suitability of that region for microbial fermentation.In general, with acclimated animals, the higher the proportion of readily fermentable carbohydrates in the diet the greater the lactic acid concentration (Mackie 1977), while volatile fatty acids are the main end products of bacterial carbohydrate fermentation, e.g. cellulose. The present study investigated the effects of different diets (varying in proximate composition) on the pH, volatile fatty acid and lactic acid production for the various regions of the gut. The aim was to determine whether the forestomach of the white-tailed rat was to some extent funct...

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“…Macroscopically visible papillae are not very common in mammalian forestomachs and their architecture varies. In the white-tailed rat (Mystromys albicaudatus) papillae are completely made up by the horny layer (stratum corneum, Maddock & Perrin, 1981. The vascularity of papillae have been recognized as important factors in their absorptive function (Comline, Silver & Steven, 1968).…”

Section: Absorptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Anatomy of the Stomach in Mammalian Herbivores

Langer¹

1984

Exp Physiol

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A microscopical examination of the gastric morphology of the white-tailed ratMystromys albicaudatus(Smith 1834)

Cited by 12 publications

References 11 publications

The relationship among diet, alimentary tract morphology, and life history for five species of rodents from the central Argentine pampa

The relationship among diet, alimentary tract morphology, and life history for five species of rodents from the central Argentine pampa

The effect of different diets on the amount of organic acid produced in the digestive tract of Mystromys albicaudatus

Comparative Anatomy of the Stomach in Mammalian Herbivores

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