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THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF VERTEBRATES

REPTILES: Tortoise

Galapagos tortoise (photo by Dr Michael Stoskopf)   (from CD Chapter 2)



Figure 5.4.  Red-footed tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria) digestive tract (Stevens & Hume 1995)  (from CD Chapter 5)


Table 7.2.  Mean digesta retention time in reptiles  (from CD Chapter 7)

Liquid marker was polyethylene glycol or BaSO₄.  Particulate markers were segments of polyethylene tubing.


Table 7.4.  Mean digesta retention time for herbivorous colon fermenters  (from CD Chapter 7)

Although digesta retention times are affected by differences in the diet, and in the body temperatures of the reptiles, marsupial, and eutherian mammals, colon fermenters retain particulate digesta as long or longer than fluid digesta. The effects of colonic retention of particles can be muted in animals with a relatively large cecum such as the chimpanzee, orangutan and gorilla.  (modified from Stevens and Hume 1995)


Table 7.8.  Adaptations of digestive strategies to environment   (from CD Chapter 7)

(Stevens 1998)


Table 8.1.  (from CD Chapter 8)