What term describes the zebra's specialized digestive system where cellulose breakdown occurs in the large intestine and cecum?
Answer
Hindgut fermenters
Zebras are classified as hindgut fermenters, a critical adaptation allowing them to thrive on large volumes of fibrous, low-quality forage. This digestive strategy means that the primary breakdown of tough plant components, like cellulose, occurs in the large intestine and cecum, *after* the food has passed through the stomach and small intestine. This contrasts with ruminants, which utilize specialized stomach compartments for fermentation before further processing. While hindgut fermentation allows for rapid processing of bulk food, it results in less complete nutrient absorption compared to the ruminant system, compelling the zebra to ingest significantly greater quantities of vegetation overall to meet energy needs.
Related Questions
What classification defines the zebra's diet as being exclusively composed of plant matter?What term describes the zebra's specialized digestive system where cellulose breakdown occurs in the large intestine and cecum?What is the geographical constraint imposed by the zebra's frequent need to drink water?What typical structural characteristic defines the grasses preferred by the most widespread Plains Zebra species?What nutritional yield, expressed as crude protein percentage, characterizes much of the bulk grass zebras must consume for sustenance?What key behavioral flexibility allows zebras to survive when fresh, short grasses are unavailable?How does the hindgut fermentation process in zebras differ from the digestive method used by ruminants like cattle?What ecological role do zebras often fill in mixed-species herds by cropping the grass layer?What distinguishing dietary characteristic separates Grevy's zebras from the Plains Zebra regarding grass selection?What must a zebra manage internally to compensate for the lower efficiency of nutrient absorption in hindgut fermenters?