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Studies on feed digestibilities in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
M Clauss1, W Loehlein, E Kienzle
1Institute of Animal Physiology, Physiological Chemistry and Animal Nutrition, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany. clauss@tiph.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition
|September 27, 2003
Summary
Horses can model elephant nutrition regarding dietary influences on digestibility and nutrient absorption. However, elephants exhibit lower nutrient digestibility due to faster passage rates, unlike horses.
Area of Science:
- Animal Nutrition
- Comparative Physiology
- Digestive Physiology
Background:
- Understanding elephant digestive physiology is crucial for captive care and conservation.
- The horse is a common nutritional model, but its applicability to elephants requires validation.
- Elephants possess a large body mass, suggesting high digestive potential, yet their efficiency is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the suitability of horses as a nutritional model for Asian elephants.
- To compare nutrient digestibility, calcium absorption, and fecal volatile fatty acid profiles between horses and elephants.
Main Methods:
- Digestibility studies were conducted on six captive Asian elephants across six dietary regimes.
- The double marker method was employed, utilizing acid detergent lignin (internal) and chromium oxide (external) as digestibility markers.
Main Results:
- Elephants showed similarities to horses in how dietary supplements and crude fiber affected digestibility.
- Calcium absorption parameters and fecal volatile fatty acid composition were also comparable between species.
- Absolute digestibility coefficients for nutrients were significantly lower in elephants compared to horses, attributed to faster ingesta passage rates.
Conclusions:
- While horses share some nutritional response patterns with elephants, they are not a perfect model due to differences in absolute digestibility.
- Faster ingesta passage rates in elephants limit their nutrient absorption efficiency.
- Dietary differences, particularly the reliance on browse forage in the wild, may explain variations in volatile fatty acid profiles between captive and wild elephants.