Assessment 2 - Digestion and feeding small mammals

Question 1

Myomorphs & sciuromoph digestive system (6)

Answer 1

1. Omnivorous
2. Simple stomachs (x hamsters with 2 part stomachs)
3. Cannot vomit - Muscle ridge between oesophagus & stomach
4. Long intestine: digestion of plant material
5. Caecum: small
6. Coprophagia (vit B)

Question 2

Hystricomorph digestive system (6)

Answer 2

1. Can’t synthesis Vit C
2. Difficulty digesting sugars
3. Monogastric herbivore
4. Caecotrophy and coprophagy
5. Long intestinal tract
6. Large caecum

Question 3

Lagomorph Digestive system 3+2

Answer 3

Caecotrophy
Large coiled caecum
Can’t vomit
–
Simple stomach (reservoir - never empty)
Long intestinal tract

Question 4

Caecotrophy (4)

Answer 4

1. Indigestible fibres are excreted as hard faecal pellets
2. Digestible fibre is moved via peristalsis
3. Then turns back (at the colonic separation mechanism) to the caecum for fermentation and to absorb more nutrients and add water to the caecotrophs
4. Caecotrophs then go back down regular peristalsis and are encapsulated with mucus by goblet cells and expelled for the rabbit to re-ingest and referment

Question 5

Hedgehog digestive system 2+2

Answer 5

Need chitin
No caecum
–
Short intestinal tract
Simple stomach

Question 6

Ferret digestive system (5)

Answer 6

Need taurine + Vit A & E
No Caecum
—
1. Stomach small but can stretch
2. Very short digestive tract

Question 7

Herbivore digestive system - General (4)

Answer 7

1. Teeth adapted for grinding down plant matter
2. Long intestinal tract - plant matter takes longer to break down
3. Presence of caecum - to digest plant matter
4. Most unable to vomit

Question 8

Carnivore digestive system - General (4)

Answer 8

1. Teeth adapted for tearing meat
2. Short intestinal tract
3. No Caecum
4. Able to vomit

Question 9

Rats’ diets (4)

Answer 9

Omnivores
Coprophagic
No metal bowls
Crepuscular
–
1. Omnivores
2. Crepuscular
3. Drink overnight
4. Need ceramic bowls - don’t like metal sounds
5. Fearful of changes
6. Coprophagic

Question 10

Mice diets 3

Answer 10

Need magnesium, Vit A, Chlorine

Folic acid needed if reproducing

Coprophagic (for B12 and folic acid)

Question 11

Toxic for mice (5)

Answer 11

1. Grapes/ raisins
2. Rhubarb
3. Walnuts

Can cause digestive issues:
Lettuce (diarrhoea)
Citrus fruit

Question 12

Wild mice (3)

Answer 12

1. Eat 15/20 times a day
2. Hoard
3. Cannibalism if desperate

Question 13

Hamster diets 3+2

Answer 13

Lots of Hay
Fruit and veg
Toxic: grapes and rhubarb
—
1. Need complete food
2. Pellets preferred

Question 14

Wild hamsters (4)

Answer 14

1. Travel long distances to forage
2. Food stored in cheeks
3. Much larger than pets
4. Crepuscular

Question 15

Gerbils’ diet (4)

Answer 15

Omnivores
Complete food pellets
Scatter feeding
Sunflower seeds = fattening
–
1. Omnivores
2. Complete gerbil food - pellets
3. Scatter feeding important
4. Hoarders
5. Pumpkin seeds = treat
6. Sunflower seeds = fattening

Question 16

Wild gerbils (3)

Answer 16

Hoard and store
Mostly Herbs
Different diet: winter vs summer
—
1. Eat mostly herbs
2. Can hoard up to 1.5Kg of grains
3. Gather food during day to store
4. Can store food for winter
5. Summer: fresh greens, seeds and insects
6. Winter: seeds and fruits

Question 17

Guinea pigs’ diet (3)

Answer 17

Can’t synthesise Vitamin C
Caecotrophy
Hay
—
1. Herbivores
2. Lots of hay (80%)
3. Fresh grass and veggies daily
4. Small amounts of pellets
5. Can’t synthesise Vitamin C
6. Caecotrophy

Question 18

Sources of vitamin C

Answer 18

Broccoli
Parsley
Kale
Spinach
Asparagus

Peppers
Tomatoes

Question 19

Wild guinea pigs (4)

Answer 19

Crepuscular
Caecotrophs
Need to forage
Herbivores

Question 20

Chinchilla diets (3)

Answer 20

Need pellets
Hay
Caecotrophs
–
1. Need unltd access to hay
2. Use front paws to eat
3. Need complete chinchilla pellets
4. Caecotroph
5. Eat for long periods of time (mostly overnight)
6. Fresh greens as treats

Question 21

Wild chinchillas (6)

Answer 21

1. Wild chinchillas = omnivores
2. Pet chinchillas = herbivores
3. Eat birds, insects, grass, seeds etc..
4. Drink a lot less water bcs they absord a lot of water from plants they eat
5. Diets much higher in sugar and fat
6. Crepuscular

Question 22

Degus’ diets (3)

Answer 22

No molasses
Coprophagic
Herbivores
–
1. Herbivores
2. Need high fibre diets: lots of hay
3. Can have leafy veg
4. Complete degu nuggets can be used
5. Need a diet low in sugar/fat: prone to diabetes
6. NO molasses
7. Coprophagic

Question 23

Wild degus

Answer 23

1. High fibre diet
2. Crepuscular
3. In winter: only forage in the sun
4. Store food in burrows
5. Coprophagic
6. Eat more than pet degus

Question 24

Chipmunk diets

Answer 24

1. Omnivores
2. 50% of diet = cereals
3. Fruit, veg, unsalted nuts = treats
4. Caecotroph

Question 25

Wild chipmunks

Answer 25

1. Feed at least 6x a day
2. Forages and stores food in burrow
3. Food stored in separate food rooms to eat in winter
4. Sleep a lot in winter
5. Crepuscular

Question 26

Ferret dietary restrictions

Answer 26

1. Lactose intolerant
2. Cannot diget carbohydrate
3. Vegetables can cause bladder stones, gastro, reproduct. prblms ….
4. Need amino acid and taurins

Question 27

Wild hedgehogs

Answer 27

1. Need chitin
2. Eat worms, slugs, snails, mice, baby birds, bird eggs
3. Most active at night and will eat food left ou by humans