Journal article

Publication year: 1986

Pages: 173-187

Journal: Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde = International journal of mammalian biology

Volume number: 51

Issue number: 3

ISSN: 0044-3468

Publisher: Urban & Fischer

Abstract: 
Compiled and discussed data on the distribution of both hindgut- and forestomach-fermenting herbivores in the canopy and on the floor of tropical forests in the Neotropical, Ethiopian, Oriental, and Australian regions. Lists of species were compiled from the literature and grouped according to differentiations of the hindgut and the forestomach. The following obervations were made: 1. The Neotropical region houses only few forestomach-fermenters, however, hindgut-fermenters, in large quantities, live in this region; 2. Food of intermediate quality is preferred by the pooled hindgut- and forestomach-fermenters; 3. Hindgut-fermenters prefer a more nitritious food than do forestomach-fermenters; 4. Inhabitants of the canopy of the forest prefer a higher quality food than do mammals feeding on the forest floor; 5. Hindgut-fermenters feed predominantly in the canopy and forestomach-fermenters in the forest floor; 6. Detoxification of secondary plant substances in the food of herbivores is of ecological advantage and a few forestomach-fermenting inhabitants of the canopy apply this strategy. The findings demonstrate a remarkable interrelationship between digestion strategies and distribution of herbivores.

Harvard Citation style: LANGER, P. (1986) LARGE MAMMALIAN HERBIVORES IN TROPICAL FORESTS WITH EITHER HINDGUT-FERMENTATION OR FORESTOMACH-FERMENTATION, ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SAUGETIERKUNDE-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY, 51(3), pp. 173-187

APA Citation style: LANGER, P. (1986). LARGE MAMMALIAN HERBIVORES IN TROPICAL FORESTS WITH EITHER HINDGUT-FERMENTATION OR FORESTOMACH-FERMENTATION. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR SAUGETIERKUNDE-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY. 51(3), 173-187.