As M. tempus is an omnivore due to their monogastric digestive system, and is similar to a pigs digestive system, but with adaptations similar to that of bilbies (Thylacomyidae) due to the occasional low availability of prey and living food sources, resulting in adapted hindgut fermentation and a long digestive tract, (Tyndale-Biscoe C H 2005). Although M. tempus must ferment the consumed plant material, their gastrointestinal tracts are still incredibly different to those of foregut fermenters, such as cows. As mentioned earlier, the pig and bandicoot like teeth ensures M. tempus can easily rip apart their prey with their canines and incisors, while also able to masticate and grind up plant material with their molars (Mississippi State University,
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Up to this point M. tempus had not digested much of the food if the majority of their diet consisted of plant material, which is why they’ve been seen to perform coprophagy in order to reabsorb any missed nutrients during the initial digestion when their diet is high in cellulose (Stevens C E, Hume I D 1995). While both cows and M. tempus have the same ending of the GIT (rectum then anus), M. tempus has a rather long GIT as a lot of its necessary water intake is absorbed through the food it eats; which occurs majorly in the large intestine (large and small colon) which then goes to the kidney to be filtered; and the increased length of the small intestine allows longer time for digestion and absorption of complex nutrients such as fibre (Vet Sci 2010). As they don’t have the large fore-stomachs taking up a lot of room in the abdomen, the large rib cage holds this excess of intestine, which has been discussed …show more content…
tempus has evolved ventral tarsal bones that protrude the skin and are shaped similar to horns. This allows them to break through the tough dried top soil of the summer environment. M. tempus rarely runs and the large horn is upwards orientated to allow easy movement, often waiting near the nest of their prey. (As the Superficial Digital Flexor normally extends over the tarsal bone, this adapted bone originally grew as two horns but evolved into one, having a foramen in the middle to allow the SDF to pass through). Also to survive in the harsh environment, M. tempus has many features including an undercoat that is shed during spring and grown again in autumn for insulation to survive the extreme high and low temperatures, a long thick tail that is often used as caudal fat storage over the winter months, and large pointed ears, similar to those in a Bilby, to aid in thermoregulation (heat is exchanged due to the increased surface area of blood vessels in the ears (Tyndale-Biscoe C H 2005)). In extreme winters, they’ve been seen to spontaneously enter torpor, much like in the Numbat, and decrease their body temperature from around 36⁰C (common body temperature in most marsupials), to around 18⁰C (Volgenest L, Woods R 2008). Due to their small size, the metabolism of M. tempus is quite low to reduce heat loss and conserve energy, and therefore a large portion of their diet consists of invertebrates or plant material to ensure they have enough energy alongside the fat storage
Up to this point M. tempus had not digested much of the food if the majority of their diet consisted of plant material, which is why they’ve been seen to perform coprophagy in order to reabsorb any missed nutrients during the initial digestion when their diet is high in cellulose (Stevens C E, Hume I D 1995). While both cows and M. tempus have the same ending of the GIT (rectum then anus), M. tempus has a rather long GIT as a lot of its necessary water intake is absorbed through the food it eats; which occurs majorly in the large intestine (large and small colon) which then goes to the kidney to be filtered; and the increased length of the small intestine allows longer time for digestion and absorption of complex nutrients such as fibre (Vet Sci 2010). As they don’t have the large fore-stomachs taking up a lot of room in the abdomen, the large rib cage holds this excess of intestine, which has been discussed …show more content…
tempus has evolved ventral tarsal bones that protrude the skin and are shaped similar to horns. This allows them to break through the tough dried top soil of the summer environment. M. tempus rarely runs and the large horn is upwards orientated to allow easy movement, often waiting near the nest of their prey. (As the Superficial Digital Flexor normally extends over the tarsal bone, this adapted bone originally grew as two horns but evolved into one, having a foramen in the middle to allow the SDF to pass through). Also to survive in the harsh environment, M. tempus has many features including an undercoat that is shed during spring and grown again in autumn for insulation to survive the extreme high and low temperatures, a long thick tail that is often used as caudal fat storage over the winter months, and large pointed ears, similar to those in a Bilby, to aid in thermoregulation (heat is exchanged due to the increased surface area of blood vessels in the ears (Tyndale-Biscoe C H 2005)). In extreme winters, they’ve been seen to spontaneously enter torpor, much like in the Numbat, and decrease their body temperature from around 36⁰C (common body temperature in most marsupials), to around 18⁰C (Volgenest L, Woods R 2008). Due to their small size, the metabolism of M. tempus is quite low to reduce heat loss and conserve energy, and therefore a large portion of their diet consists of invertebrates or plant material to ensure they have enough energy alongside the fat storage