Differences in Faecal Nutritional Components in Three Species of Saharan Gazelles on Standard Diets in Relation to Species, Age and Sex.

ABSTRACT: Various environmental, individual, and species-specific factors may affect digestive efficiency in wild ruminants. The study of faecal nutritional components is a commonly used technique to understand these effects, assuming that faecal nitrogen and fibre contents reflect the diet's nutritional quality and digestibility. Recent studies have highlighted the relatively high influence of factors like sex, age, weight or body condition on digestive efficiency. This manuscript is focused on the inter-specific variability in faecal nutritional components under the same feeding regime, using three captive populations of closely related gazelles as model species. Faecal samples from 193 individuals were analysed through Near InfraRed Spectroscopy. Species, sex and age influence on faecal nitrogen

SUBMITTER: Cupic S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10650564 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature