Intake, digestibility, and passage of a commercially designed diet by two propithecus species

The digestibility and passage of an experimental diet was used to compare t he digestive physiology of two Propithecus species: P. verreauxi and P. tat tersalli. Though both animals have a similar feeding ecology, the captive s tatus of P. verreauxi is considered more stable than that of P. tattersalli . The test diet included a local tree species, Rhus copallina, at 15% of dr y matter intake (DMI) and Mazuri Leafeater Primate Diet at 85% of DMI. The chemical composition of the diet (dry matter basis) was 25% crude protein, 34% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and 22% acid detergent fiber (ADF) with a gross energy of 4.52 kcal/g. After a 6 week acclimation to the experiment al diet, animals were placed in research caging. After a 7 day adjustment p eriod, animals were dosed with chromium mordant and Co-EDTA as markers for digesta passage and all feed refusals and feces were collected at timed int ervals for 7 days. Digestibility values, similar for both species, were app roximately 65% for dry matter, crude protein, and energy, and 40% and 35% r espectively, for NDF and ADF. Transit times (17-18.5 hr) and mean retention times (31-34 hr) were not significantly different between species, and the re was no difference between the chromium mordant and Co-EDTA. Serum values for glucose, urea, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were obtained dur ing four different time periods to monitor nutritional status. While there was no change in serum glucose, serum urea increased over time. The NEFAs i ncreased across all four time periods for P. verreauxi and increased for th e first three periods then decreased in the last period for P. tattersalli. Results obtained indicate no difference in digestibility nor digesta passa ge between species, and that both Propithecus species were similar to other post-gastric folivores. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.