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Gross Anatomy of the Intestine in the Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

We describe the macroscopic anatomy of the intestine of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). The small intestine was divided into duodenum, jejunum and ileum as usual. The caecum was attached to the ileum by a long ileocaecal fold, and to the proximal ansa of the ascending colon by a caecocolic fold. The ascending colon was the most developed portion of the gross intestine and had the most complex arrangement with three ansae: the proximal ansa, the spiral ansa and the distal

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Feed Selection and Digestibility by Captive Giraffe

A digestion trial with subsequent examination of feed selection was conducted using two captive giraffe fed four feedstuffs. Apparent digestibility coefficients were relatively high, indicating that the animals were efficiently utilizing the feedstuffs. However, values could be affected by the possible ingestion of soil containing acid‐insoluble ash. A high fiber pelleted feed was eaten in a greater quantity than a low fiber feed, even though the constituents in each feed were the same. Gross energy content of residual hay was

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Characterization of Tannin-tolerant Bacterial Isolates from East African Ruminants

Several tannin-tolerant bacteria were isolated from enrichment cultures of rumen microflora of bush duiker, giraffe, Grant’s gazelle, sheep, and goat, and established in medium containing crude tannin extracts or tannic acid. The isolates were characterized by classical and molecular methods. The isolates were also tested for the presence of tannin acylhydrolase. Characterization by restriction fragment length polymorphism of the 16S rRNA–PCR product was performed with Alu 1, Dde 1, Msp 1, and Taq 1. Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed only on the isolates that were

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The maximum attainable body size of herbivorous mammals: morphophysiological constraints on foregut, and adaptations of hindgut fermenters

An oft-cited nutritional advantage of large body size is that larger animals have lower relative energy requirements and that, due to their increased gastrointestinal tract (GIT) capacity, they achieve longer ingesta passage rates, which allows them to use forage of lower quality. However, the fermentation of plant material cannot be optimized endlessly; there is a time when plant fibre is totally fermented, and another when energy losses due to methanogenic bacteria become punitive. Therefore, very large herbivores would need to

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