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Dunham NT, Koester DC, Dierenfeld ES, Rimbach R, Pontzer H. Balancing the scales: Preliminary investigation of total energy expenditure and daily metabolizable energy intake in Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270570. [PMID: 35759501 PMCID: PMC9236236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is an endangered arboreal marsupial native to Papua New Guinea. Detailed field studies of its behavior and ecology are scarce due largely to its occupation of remote cloud forests and cryptic nature. Although this species has been in human care since the 1950s, much of its biology is still unknown. The current ex situ population is not sustainable due to health and reproductive problems, believed to stem largely from issues with diet and obesity. To better assess potential discrepancies between energy requirements and energy intake, we sought to 1) quantify total energy expenditure (TEE) of two zoo-housed Matschie’s tree kangaroos (body mass = 9.0–9.7 kg) on a diet composed largely of leafy browse; 2) quantify food and macronutrient intake, apparent dry matter macronutrient digestibility, and metabolizable energy (ME) intake over a 14-month period; and 3) test for seasonal changes in ME intake due to seasonal differences in the varieties of leafy browse offered. Using the doubly labeled water method, we determined TEE for the female (288 kcal day -1) and male (411 kcal day -1). Resulting mean TEE was well below the expected value for marsupials and macropods (i.e., ~60% of the expected value based on body mass). The mean calculated ME intakes for the female and male were 307 kcal day-1 and 454 kcal day-1, respectively. There were significant seasonal differences in ME intakes, driven by reduced intake in the autumn. These results demonstrate that Matschie’s tree kangaroos can be maintained at healthy body weights and conditions on fiber-rich and browse-heavy diets. Our findings contribute important insights into tree kangaroo energetics and physiology and can be applied to help reformulate the diet of Matschie’s tree kangaroos at captive facilities to improve population health and sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Dunham
- Division of Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Diana C. Koester
- Division of Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Ellen S. Dierenfeld
- Ellen S. Dierenfeld, LLC, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Rimbach
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
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Dissanayake RB, Stevenson M, Allavena R, Henning J. Predicting koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) distribution from incidental sighting data in South-East Queensland, Australia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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DeSantis LRG, Alexander J, Biedron EM, Johnson PS, Frank AS, Martin JM, Williams L. Effects of climate on dental mesowear of extant koalas and two broadly distributed kangaroos throughout their geographic range. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201962. [PMID: 30133503 PMCID: PMC6104949 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental mesowear analysis can classify the diets of extant herbivores into general categories such as grazers, mixed-feeders, and browsers by using the gross wear patterns found on individual teeth. This wear presumably results from both abrasion (food-on-tooth wear) and attrition (tooth-on-tooth wear) of individual teeth. Mesowear analyses on extinct ungulates have helped generate hypotheses regarding the dietary ecology of mammals across space and time, and recent developments have expanded the use of dental mesowear analysis to herbivorous marsupial taxa including kangaroos, wombats, possums, koalas, and relatives. However, the diet of some of the most ubiquitous kangaroos (e.g., Macropus giganteus) along with numerous other species cannot be successfully classified by dental mesowear analysis. Further, it is not well understood whether climate variables (including precipitation, relative humidity, and temperature) are correlated with dental mesowear variables including various measures of shape and relief. Here, we examine the relationship between dental mesowear variables (including traditional methods scoring the sharpest cusp and a new potential assessment of multiple cusps) and climate variables in the grazers/mixed feeders Macropus giganteus and Macropus fuliginosus, and the obligate browser Phascolarctos cinereus. We find that dental mesowear of mandibular teeth is capable of differentiating the dietary habits of koalas and the kangaroo species. Furthermore, both Macropus giganteus and Phascolarctos cinereus exhibit mesowear correlated with mean minimum temperature, while Macropus fuliginosus dental mesowear is unaffected by temperature, despite significant differences in mean minimum and mean maximum temperature across their distribution (and in the specimens examined here). Contrary to expectations that individuals from drier regions would have blunter and lower relief teeth, dental mesowear is unrelated to proxies of relative aridity—including mean annual precipitation and relative humidity. Collectively, dental mesowear in these marsupials is related to feeding behavior with increased wear in cooler regions (in Macropus giganteus and Phascolarctos cinereus) potentially related to more or different food resources consumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa R. G. DeSantis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jagger Alexander
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Eva M. Biedron
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Phyllis S. Johnson
- Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Austin S. Frank
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - John M. Martin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Lindsay Williams
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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Au J, Youngentob KN, Clark RG, Phillips R, Foley WJ. Bark chewing reveals a nutrient limitation of leaves for a specialist folivore. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Au
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Kara Nicole Youngentob
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Robert Graham Clark
- National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Richard Phillips
- CSIRO Agriculture, Analytical Chemistry Group, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - William John Foley
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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5
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Narayan EJ, Williams M. Understanding the dynamics of physiological impacts of environmental stressors on Australian marsupials, focus on the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). BMC ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-016-0004-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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6
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Fat-soluble vitamin and mineral comparisons between zoo-based and free-ranging koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). J Zoo Wildl Med 2014; 44:1079-82. [PMID: 24450073 DOI: 10.1638/2012-0207r1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
As part of a health investigation on koalas at San Diego Zoo, serum samples were analyzed from 18 free-ranging and 22 zoo-based koalas, Phascolarctos cinereus. Serum concentrations of calcium, chloride, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, zinc, and vitamins A, E, and 25(OH)D3 were quantified. Calcium, chloride, molybdenum, selenium, and vitamin E concentrations were significantly higher in zoo-based koalas than in free-ranging koalas, whereas magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc concentrations were significantly higher in the free-ranging koalas. No significant differences were found between genders. The results from this study will help to establish a starting point for determining target circulating nutrient concentrations in koalas.
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Cristescu RH, Banks PB, Carrick FN, Frère C. Potential 'ecological traps' of restored landscapes: koalas Phascolarctos cinereus re-occupy a rehabilitated mine site. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80469. [PMID: 24282544 PMCID: PMC3839991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With progressively increasing anthropogenic habitat disturbances, restoration of impacted landscapes is becoming a critical element of biodiversity conservation. Evaluation of success in restoration ecology rarely includes faunal components, usually only encompassing abiotic and floral components of the ecosystems. Even when fauna is explicitly included, it is usually only species presence/absence criteria that are considered. If restoration is to have a positive outcome, however, populations in restored habitats should exhibit comparable survival and reproductive rates to populations found in undisturbed surroundings. If a species recolonises restored areas but later experiences decreased fitness, restored areas could become ecological sinks or traps. We investigated this possibility in a case study of koalas Phascolarctos cinereus occupying rehabilitated mining areas on North Stradbroke Island, Australia. Our holistic approach compared rehabilitated and undisturbed areas on the basis of their vegetation characteristics, of koalas' body condition, roosting trees, diet, as well as predator index. Koalas using rehabilitated areas appeared to be able to access an adequate supply of roosting and fodder trees, were in good condition and had high reproductive output. We did not find any significant differences in predator density between rehabilitated areas and undisturbed surroundings. The results presented in this study showed there was no evidence that the post-mining rehabilitated areas constitute ecological sinks or traps. However, to reach a definitive conclusion as to whether areas rehabilitated post-mining provide at least equivalent habitat to undisturbed locations, additional research could be undertaken to assess foliar nutrient/water/toxin differences and predation risk in rehabilitated areas compared with undisturbed areas. More generally, the evaluation of whether restoration successfully produces a functional ecological community should include criteria on the fitness of faunal populations reoccupying such sites, so as to ensure functioning ecosystems, rather than ecological sinks or traps, are the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romane H Cristescu
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington NSW, Australia ; Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD, Australia
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Stannard HJ, Old JM. Digestibility of two diet items by captive eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus). Zoo Biol 2013; 32:417-22. [PMID: 23606336 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus) is a carnivorous Australian marsupial that has undergone significant geographical range contraction since European settlement, and is extinct on the mainland. Nutrition is not well researched in captive eastern quolls, and captive diets often consist of commercial pet foods as opposed to raw meat or insect diets. Improving nutrition will enhance reproductive output and ensure suitable numbers of quolls are bred to be used in translocation programs. The present study analyzed the composition of kangaroo mince and chicken necks, and the digestibility of these items, in a captive environment. The quolls had high apparent total tract digestibility on the chicken neck and kangaroo mince treatments (DM 83-88%, GE 95-97%, protein 94-97%, and lipids 94-95%, respectively). The apparent total tract digestibility of DM, GE, and proteins was significantly higher (t14= 2.465, P < 0.05; t14= 2.489, P < 0.05; t14= 5.470, P < 0.01, respectively) on the kangaroo mince treatment compared with the chicken neck treatment. This study provides the first data on Cu (-18-37%), S (86-95%), and Zn (26-28%) apparent total tract digestibility in a Dasyurid. Data gathered during this study can be used to improve management practices for captive quolls, including diet formulation and mineral supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley J Stannard
- Native and Pest Animal Unit, School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, Australia.
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Higgins AL, Bercovitch FB, Tobey JR, Andrus CH. Dietary specialization and Eucalyptus species preferences in Queensland koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). Zoo Biol 2011; 30:52-8. [PMID: 20186726 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.20312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Koalas specialize on Eucalyptus leaves, but also feed selectively. Food choice is not random, but depends on various factors that are not well understood, although most research has focused on the role of secondary plant compounds. We studied the feeding choices of four adult male koalas housed at the San Diego Zoo. All subjects had a choice of nine types of Eucalyptus leaves over the eight-week study. The most preferred species was E. camuldulensis, but individual males exhibited different feeding preferences. We conclude that food selectivity among koalas is probably due to multiple factors, rather than only a consequence of secondary plant chemicals. A combination of intrinsic factors, such as developmental trajectory and reproductive state, as well as extrinsic factors, such as leaf chemical fingerprint and moisture, probably interact to shape koala foraging preferences. Koalas forage almost exclusively on Eucalyptus species, but have evolved an adaptive flexibility, enabling them to exploit various Eucalyptus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis L Higgins
- San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, California 92027, USA
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10
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Moore BD, Foley WJ. Tree use by koalas in a chemically complex landscape. Nature 2005; 435:488-90. [PMID: 15917807 DOI: 10.1038/nature03551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2005] [Accepted: 03/15/2005] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although defence against herbivores is often argued to be the main action of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs), very few examples have demonstrated that intraspecific variation in PSM concentrations influences foraging by wild vertebrate herbivores. Experiments with captive animals often indicate that PSM concentrations influence how much herbivores eat from individual plants, but these experiments do not replicate the subtle trade-offs in diet selection faced by wild animals, which must avoid predators and extremes of weather, interact with conspecifics, and achieve a balanced, nutritious diet, while avoiding intoxication by PSMs. We characterized the foliar chemistry of every tree from two Eucalyptus species available to a population of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and considered rates of tree visitation over a ten-year period. We show that visitation rate was most strongly influenced by tree size, but that koalas also visited trees less frequently if the foliage contained either high concentrations of deterrent PSMs known as formylated phloroglucinol compounds, or low concentrations of nitrogen. Consequently, plant chemistry restricts the use of trees by this herbivore, and thus limits the food available to koalas and potentially influences koala populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben D Moore
- School of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
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12
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Ellis W, Carrick F, Lundgren P, Veary A, Cohen B. The use of faecal cuticle examination to determine the dietary composition of koalas. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1999. [DOI: 10.7882/az.1999.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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13
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Zoidis AM, Markowitz H. Findings from a feeding study of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) at the San Francisco Zoo. Zoo Biol 1992. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.1430110608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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14
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Beal AM. Influence of flow rate and aldosterone administration on mandibular salivary composition in the koala:(Phascolarctos cinereus). J Zool (1987) 1991. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1991.tb04764.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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15
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Osawa R, Carrick FN. Use of a dietary supplement in koalas during systemic antibiotic treatment of chlamydial infection. Aust Vet J 1990; 67:305-7. [PMID: 2222379 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1990.tb07805.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Osawa
- Department of Zoology, University of Queensland, St Lucia
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Affiliation(s)
- I D Hume
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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19
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MAJER JD, RECHER HF. Invertebrate communities on Western Australian eucalypts: A comparison of branch clipping and chemical knockdown procedures. AUSTRAL ECOL 1988. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1988.tb00974.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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20
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Digestion and energy metabolism in a small arboreal marsupial, the Greater Glider (Petauroides volans), fed high-terpeneEucalyptus foliage. J Comp Physiol B 1987. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00693362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Foley WJ, Hume ID. Digestion and metabolism of high-tannin Eucalyptus foliage by the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae). J Comp Physiol B 1987; 157:67-76. [PMID: 3571567 DOI: 10.1007/bf00702730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The digestion and metabolism of Eucalyptus melliodora foliage was studied in captive brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula). The foliage was low in nitrogen and silica but high in lignified fibre and phenolics compared with diets consumed by most other herbivores. The high lignin content was suggested as the main cause of the low digestibility of E. melliodora cell walls (24%); microscopic observations of plant fragments in the caecum and faeces revealed few bacteria attached to lignified tissues. The conversion of digestible energy (0.34 MJ X kg-0.75 X d-1) to metabolizable energy (0.26 MJ X kg-0.75 X d-1) was low compared to most other herbivores, probably because of excretion of metabolites of leaf essential oils and phenolics in the urine. When the inhibitory effect of leaf tannins on fibre digestion was blocked by supplementing the animals with polyethylene glycol (PEG), intake of dry matter, metabolizable energy and digestible fibre increased. These effects were attributed to the reversal by PEG of tannin-microbial enzyme complexes. It was concluded that the gut-filling effect of a bulk of indigestible fibre is a major reason why the brushtail possum does not feed exclusively on Eucalyptus foliage in the wild.
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Cork SJ, Warner ACI. The passage of digesta markers through the gut of a folivorous marsupial, the koalaPhascolarctos cinereus. J Comp Physiol B 1983. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00689726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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Cork SJ, Hume ID, Dawson TJ. Digestion and metabolism of a natural foliar diet (Eucalyptus punctata) by an arboreal marsupial, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). J Comp Physiol B 1983. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00689622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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