Download Specialized Digestive System

Specialized Digestive
Systems
What are they?
• Animals with specialized digestive tracts
are still non-ruminant animals but they
have unique organs that allow them to
efficiently process the food they consume
Hindgut Fermenters
• Non-ruminant herbivores that have a
functioning cecum that allows them to eat
large amounts of roughage
– Horses
– Rhinos
– Elephants
– Rabbits
– Guinea Pigs
Bird Systems
• Beak
– Mouth which pecks and scoops feed
• Salivary Glands
– Add digestive enzymes and lubricate feed
• Esophagus
– Connects beak to the crop
• Crop
– Storage pouch that moistens feed
Bird Systems
• Proventriculus
– Glandular stomach that adds gastric juices
and mixes and churns feed
• Gizzard
– Purplish colored organ that contains grit to
grind feed during muscle contractions
• Small Intestine
– Digests and absorbs nutrients
Bird Systems
• Large Intestine
– Absorbs water
• Ceca
– 2 blind pouches that do not function at the
end of the large intestine
• Cloaca
– Internal sphincter that controls excretion
• Vent
– External sphincter that controls excretion
Bird Systems
Small
Intestine
Large
Intestine
Ceca
Cloaca
Beak
Salivary
Glands
Liver Gall
Gizzard Bladder
Esophagus
Crop
Pancreas
Proventriculus
Vent
Bird Systems
Mouth which pecks and scoops
feed
Bird Systems
Glandular stomach that adds
gastric juices and mixes and
churns feed
Bird Systems
Absorbs water
Bird Systems
Add digestive enzymes and
lubricate feed
Bird Systems
Purplish colored organ that
contains grit to grind feed
during muscle contractions
Bird Systems
2 blind pouches that do not
function at the end of the large
intestine
Bird Systems
Connects beak to the crop
Bird Systems
Digests and absorbs nutrients
Bird Systems
Internal sphincter that controls
excretion
Bird Systems
Storage pouch that moistens
feed
Bird Systems
External sphincter that controls
excretion
Bird Systems
Bird Systems
Bird Systems
Bird Systems