Digestibility of feeding regimes of the red-tailed phascogale (Phascogale calura) and the kultarr (Antechinomys laniger) in captivity
Hayley J. Stannard A B and Julie M. Old A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Native and Pest Animal Unit, School of Natural Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury Campus, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: h.stannard@uws.edu.au
Australian Journal of Zoology 59(4) 257-263 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO11069
Submitted: 5 September 2011 Accepted: 10 February 2012 Published: 13 March 2012
Abstract
Digestibility was studied in the red-tailed phascogale (Phascogale calura) and the kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), small insectivorous/carnivorous marsupials, to determine their nutrient requirements in captivity. The marsupials were fed a range of insects, rat (Rattus rattus) and small carnivore food (Wombaroo). Digestibility experiments were conducted for a total of 12 days, which incorporated a five-day adjustment phase followed by a seven-day collection period. The apparent digestibility values for the phascogale and kultarr were above 81% for dry matter, energy, protein and lipids on all diets provided. No significant difference was found between phascogales and kultarrs on the same diet with respect to apparent digestibility of dry matter, energy, protein and lipids. The apparent absorption of minerals varied for each diet for the phascogale and kultarr. Maintenance energy requirements were determined to be 954 kJ kg0.75 day–1 for the red-tailed phascogale and 695 kJ kg0.75 day–1 for the kultarr. Presented here are the most comprehensive data on diet digestibility for dasyurids thus far.
Additional keywords: apparent digestibility, dasyurid, insectivore, marsupial.
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