Diet, digestive tract gross anatomy and morphometry of Akodon cursor Winge (Sigmodontinae): relations between nutritional content, diet composition and digestive organs
2012
Finotti, Ricardo | Santos, Mariana Moraes | Cerqueira, Rui
Individuals of Akodon cursor were collected at fragments from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and laboratory food preference experiments were performed. A preference index for each food item and the proportions of organic nutrients (glucids, protein, lipids and fibers) on the diet were calculated. Food items were grouped into fruits, seeds, roots, animal matter, arthropods, tubers and leaves, and their mass and proportions consumed were also calculated. Macroscopic digestive tract morphology was briefly described and the length of digestive organs was measured. Relations between the organic nutrient mass consumption, food type mass consumption and the digestive tract organ relative length were analyzed using Akaike’s information criteria. Fruits, seeds and roots made the most abundant food categories of the diet of A. cursor and presented the majority of preferred food items. Arthropods and seeds are related to protein consumption. Animal items are not considered preferred but were eventually chosen and are important for protein supply. Fruits and roots are the major source of glucids. Akodon cursor has simple macroscopic digestive organ morphology. Relations were found between lipids consumption and small intestine and caecum length. Akodon cursor is an omnivorous species and different food items are important for its nutritional supply even those that are considered non-preferred.
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