The digestive tract of Macroscelides proboscideus and the effects of diet quality on gut dimensions

Abstract

The digestive anatomy of the round-eared elephant shrew Macroscelides proboscideus, was investigated. The gut combines features indicative of both insectivory and herbivory. The stomach is a unilocular glandular sac. The caecum is an elongate blind-ending pouch, and houses a diverse microflora. The colon is well developed (25% of gut length). Digestive anatomy supports Kerley's (1995) contention that M. proboscideus is a true omnivore. The gut dimensions of M. proboscideus responded to differences in food quality, animals fed a high fibre diet exhibiting greater caecal capacity than those fed a low fibre diet. This hindgut plasticity is likely to compensate for short-term changes in food quality.