Gull J M, Stahl M, Osmann C, Ortmann S, Kreuzer M, Hatt J-M, Clauss M
Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2015 Jun;99(3):565-76. doi: 10.1111/jpn.12223. Epub 2014 Jul 5.
Giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) are specialized insectivores and consume mainly ants and termites in the wild. In captivity, giant anteaters are either fed a complete diet, or a combination of a domestic carnivore diet with leaf eater pellets, or a traditional gruel-type diet. Soft faeces are a frequently encountered problem with this type of feeding. In the present study, we analysed diet and faeces composition, calculated digestibility and measured mean retention time on various diets in eight giant anteaters (total of n = 64 experiments). The results suggest that the digestive physiology of giant anteaters is similar to that of domestic dogs and cats in terms of nutrient digestibility and digesta retention. When testing correlations between faecal dry matter content and other variables, no relationship with dietary crude fibre content or mean digesta retention time could be detected. However, acid insoluble ash intake was significantly and positively correlated with faecal dry matter content. The amount of acid insoluble ash excreted with the faeces was higher than that ingested with the diet offered, indicating that the giant anteaters ingested soil from their enclosure of up to 93 g per day. This finding is consistent with observation of faeces of wild giant anteaters that contain soil or sand most likely due to indiscriminate feeding. It also corresponds to reports that indigestible materials such as peat, soil, chitin or cellulose contribute to a firmer faecal consistency in various carnivore species. Therefore, offering giant anteaters the opportunity to voluntarily ingest soil from their enclosure might be beneficial.
大食蚁兽（Myrmecophaga tridactyla）是专门的食虫动物，在野外主要以蚂蚁和白蚁为食。在圈养环境中，大食蚁兽要么被喂食全价日粮，要么是家猫科动物日粮与食叶颗粒饲料的组合，或者是传统的稀粥型日粮。软便在这种喂食方式中是一个常见问题。在本研究中，我们分析了八只大食蚁兽的日粮和粪便成分，计算了消化率，并测量了它们在不同日粮上的平均停留时间（总共进行了n = 64次实验）。结果表明，在营养物质消化率和食糜停留时间方面，大食蚁兽的消化生理与家犬和家猫相似。在测试粪便干物质含量与其他变量之间的相关性时，未发现与日粮粗纤维含量或平均食糜停留时间有任何关系。然而，酸不溶性灰分摄入量与粪便干物质含量呈显著正相关。随粪便排出的酸不溶性灰分含量高于所提供日粮中的摄入量，这表明大食蚁兽每天从其圈舍中摄入多达93克的土壤。这一发现与对野生大食蚁兽粪便的观察结果一致，其粪便中含有土壤或沙子，很可能是由于不加选择地进食。这也与有关泥炭、土壤、几丁质或纤维素等不可消化物质有助于各种食肉动物粪便质地更坚实的报道相符。因此，为大食蚁兽提供从其圈舍中自愿摄入土壤的机会可能是有益的。
