Stannard Hayley J, Bekkers Jamie M, Old Julie M, McAllan Bronwyn M, Shaw Michelle E
School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
University Van Hall Larenstein, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
Zoo Biol. 2017 Jan;36(1):56-61. doi: 10.1002/zoo.21347. Epub 2017 Jan 23.
Short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) are myrmecophages, or ant and termite insectivore specialists, and replicating their exact diet in captivity is problematic. Diets for captive animals often incorporate raw meat, eggs and cat food mixed together with water, and vitamin and mineral supplements. These diets have promoted a number of health problems in captive echidnas, such as gastritis, cystitis, gut impaction, obesity, and diarrhea. A manufactured diet was designed and three echidnas from two zoos were transitioned onto this diet to assess the acceptability and digestibility of this diet for echidnas. The new "test" diet was readily accepted by the echidnas with a 1 week transition period. Daily digestible energy intake was 280 kJ kg d , similar to another myrmecophagous species. Digestibility values were above 74% for all macronutrients. It was determined that this diet was an acceptable replacement for the previous diets and it was decided that the remaining echidnas at both institutions would be transitioned to the new diet. The diet will also be used for wild echidnas being rehabilitated in the zoo hospitals prior to release and commercially available within Australia. Further data are being collected to assess the use of this diet for seasonal weight management, transitioning hand-reared puggles and effects on gastrointestinal tract health. Zoo Biol. 36:56-61, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
短喙针鼹（Tachyglossus aculeatus）是食蚁动物，即专门以蚂蚁和白蚁为食的食虫动物，在圈养环境中复制它们的精确饮食存在问题。圈养动物的饮食通常包含生肉、鸡蛋和猫粮，与水以及维生素和矿物质补充剂混合在一起。这些饮食导致圈养针鼹出现了许多健康问题，如胃炎、膀胱炎、肠道梗阻、肥胖和腹泻。设计了一种特制饮食，并让来自两家动物园的三只针鼹转而食用这种饮食，以评估评估这种饮食的可接受性和消化性。经过1周的过渡期，针鼹很容易接受了这种新的“试验”饮食。每日可消化能量摄入量为280kJ/kg·d，与另一种食蚁物种相似。所有宏量营养素的消化率值均高于74%。已确定这种饮食可以接受，能够替代之前的饮食，并决定让两家机构的其余针鼹都转而食用这种新饮食。这种饮食还将用于在动物园医院接受康复治疗然后放归自然的野生针鼹，并且在澳大利亚国内可以商业购买。正在收集更多数据，以评估这种饮食在季节性体重管理、过渡人工饲养的幼针鼹以及对胃肠道健康影响方面的作用。《动物园生物学》。2017年第36卷：56 - 61页。©2017威利期刊公司。
