Quantitative macroscopic digestive tract anatomy of the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis)

The digestive system of the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis), a small East African antelope, has not been described previously. We present anatomical data collected from the only known captive population of the species, allowing for a first understanding of the morphophysiological ‘type’ of this species. The gastrointestinal anatomy was quantified by weights, dimensions and areas, measured in a total of 19 beiras (ranging in body mass from 3.5 to 13.5 kg; not all measures taken in all animals). These characteristics were then evaluated against a comparative dataset consisting of data from both browsing and grazing ruminants. Overall, for example, in terms of reticular crest height, masseter mass and omasal laminar surface area, the beira digestive tract resembled that of the browsing ‘moose-type’ ruminants. A diet of dicotyledonous plant material was further supported by the carbon isotope composition (�13C = -27.5‰) typical for C3 plants of a faecal sample collected from a wild specimen, as well as the limited ecological information available for the species. DOI: 10.19227/jzar.v4i4.194 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-127216 Published Version Originally published at: Sauer, C; Hammer, C; Bertelsen, M F; Tütken, Thomas; Clauss, Marcus; Hammer, S (2016). Quantitative macroscopic digestive tract anatomy of the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis). Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 4:174-179. DOI: 10.19227/jzar.v4i4.194 O PE N A CC ES S JZ A R Re se ar ch a rti cl e Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(4) 2016 174 O PE N A CC ES S Research article Quantitative macroscopic digestive tract anatomy of the beira (Dorcatragus megalotis) Cathrine Sauer1,2, Catrin Hammer3,4, Mads F. Bertelsen1, Thomas Tütken5, Marcus Clauss6* and Sven Hammer3,4 1Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Roskildevej 38, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark. 2Present address: North of England Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Chester, CH2 1LH, United Kingdom 3Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, P.O. Box 44069, Doha, State of Qatar 4Present address: Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz, Zittauerstr. 43, D-02826 Görlitz, Germany 5Analytical Palaeontology, Institute for Geoscience, Johannes Gutenberg University, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, 55128 Mainz Germany 6Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland. * Correspondence: Marcus Clauss; [email protected]