In rabbits(Oryctolagus cunniculus), cellulose is partly digested in the caecum by bacteria that secrete the enzyme cellulase for this purpose. Simplified cellulose escapes with soft, semifluid, light-coloured faeces passed out at night. These faeces are eaten up by the rabbits directly from the anus, and passed through the gut again. Now the simplified cellulose is fully digested and the products of digestion are absorbed. The faeces passed out during day are in the form of dark, firm, pallets and are not eaten. This habit of passing food through the gut twice is called coprophagy or refection.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Kindly keep the comments clean and make quality comments that would be worthy in making this blog better! :)