Considerations on amino acid patterns in the natural felid diet: a review.

Amino acids are essential for the growth, development, and reproduction of carnivores. This literature review summarizes the amino acid patterns of different raw diets including whole prey, body tissue and muscle for felids under human care. In general, natural prey (and its parts) meet the minimum essential amino acid requirements outlined by the National Research Council for adult cats.

Natural mineral spring water () and surrounding soils in southwestern Ethiopia: farmers' feeding practices and their perception about its nutritional roles on animal performance.

Natural mineral water (termed hora in Afan Oromo) and surrounding soils are the most important source of mineral supplement traditionally used for livestock in many parts of Ethiopia. However, limited information exists on feeding practices and the impact of hora on animal performance. Thus, the present study aimed to assess farmers' feeding practices and perceptions about the role of hora and surrounding soils on animal performance.

Protein quality of a small mammal prey and its body organs for felids.

This study evaluated the protein quality of small mammalian prey and its body organs by analyzing amino acid (AA) composition and digestibility of wild adult rats and their body organs (skin/fur, bone, muscle, intestine, liver, kidney, spleen, brain, heart, and lung) utilizing an in vitro digestion method. The average dry matter (DM) digestibility of whole rats was 89.9%.

DIGESTIVE AND FEEDING BEHAVIOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAPPET-FACED VULTURES () AND GRIFFON VULTURES () EX SITU.

Appropriate diets for ex situ wildlife are essential for animal health and welfare and yet ex situ facilities are often constrained by feed ingredient availability when attempting to replicate natural diets. In obligate carnivores such as vultures, digestive strategies are likely to have evolved alongside feeding behaviors, which may differ between even sympatric species. To begin to understand the digestive strategies of two Old World vulture species (lappet-faced vulture , = 3, and griffon vulture , = 4) of similar body size but divergent feeding habits, their feeding and digestion strategies on a diet of whole rats were compared.

Nutrition of free-living Neotropical psittacine nestlings and implications for hand-feeding formulas.

Psittacidae is one of the most endangered families of birds in the world. Knowledge of their nutrition is important for understanding their survival and productivity in the wild, as well as for their adequate husbandry under human care. Hand-rearing is a common practice for psittacines, however research on their nutrition is limited.

Balancing the scales: Preliminary investigation of total energy expenditure and daily metabolizable energy intake in Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei).

Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is an endangered arboreal marsupial native to Papua New Guinea. Detailed field studies of its behavior and ecology are scarce due largely to its occupation of remote cloud forests and cryptic nature. Although this species has been in human care since the 1950s, much of its biology is still unknown.

Recommendations and Action Plans to Improve Ex Situ Nutrition and Health of Marine Teleosts.

The International Workshop for Ex-Situ Marine Teleost Nutrition and Health, hosted by Disney's Animals, Science and Environment in conjunction with the Comparative Nutrition Society, brought together over 50 animal experts and scientists representing 20 institutions to review current science and identify challenges of marine teleost nutrition and health. Invited speakers presented critical information and current research topics for areas of emphasis and expertise. Subject matter experts identified knowledge gaps and primary areas of focus to guide the scientific community's research efforts to improve the care of ex situ marine teleosts.

Retrospective Analysis of Cataract Formation and Nutritional Etiology in a Managed Collection of Parakeet Auklets ().

The parakeet auklet () is a piscivorous seabird with a natural diet of various invertebrate and teleost species, which is challenging to replicate in a managed collection. A high prevalence of early onset cataracts was observed in a managed collection of parakeet auklets at the North Carolina Zoo (Asheboro, NC, USA), which was hypothesized to be related to inappropriate vitamin A and E levels. From 1994 to 2002, these parakeet auklets were offered dietary supplementation comprising Vita-Zu small bird tablets.

Method development to characterise elephant tail hairs by LA-ICP-MS to reflect changes in elemental chemistry.

This paper evaluated analytical methods used to generate time-series data from elephant tail hairs, which can be used to reflect changing exposure to environmental geochemistry. Elephant tail hairs were analysed by three methods sequentially, each providing data to inform subsequent analysis. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Microanalysis visually showed the structure of the hair, specific structures such as tubules, and the mineral crusting around the edge of the hair, informing targeting of subsequent analysis by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).

Starch and fiber intake effects on energy metabolism, growth, and carapacial scute pyramiding of red-footed tortoise hatchlings (Chelonoidis carbonaria).

Tortoise husbandry includes reports of excessive growth and carapace pyramiding, although triggers still remain to be fully elucidated. Juvenile red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonaria) were fed with two different diets, one high in fiber (HF; 14.2% crude fiber; 39.

A comparison of nutritional value of native and alien food plants for a critically endangered island flying-fox.

Habitat loss and alteration are two of the biggest threats facing insular flying-foxes. Altered habitats are often re-vegetated with introduced or domestic plant species on which flying-foxes may forage. However, these alien food plants may not meet the nutritional requirements of flying-foxes.

Feed intake and dietary composition of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), vitamin E, and tannic acid of five captive black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in a UK collection.

The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a critically endangered species facing multiple anthropogenic pressures in its natural home range across Africa. Black rhinoceros are difficult to maintain ex situ and subject to diseases that are linked with captive dietary factors. Hemochromatosis is of particular concern, as it is a common finding at necropsy of captive adults, and has been linked to excessive dietary iron intake.

Fatty acid profiles of crop contents of free-living psittacine nestlings and of commercial hand-feeding formulas.

Research on psittacine nutrition is limited, and nestling requirements are poorly understood. This study analysed fatty acid (FA) profiles of crop contents of free-living scarlet macaws (Ara macao, n = 18), red-and-green macaws (Ara chloropterus, n = 5), Cuban parrots (Amazona leucocephala bahamensis, n = 27), lilac-crowned Amazons (Amazona finschi, n = 33) and thick-billed parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha, n = 32). The same analysis was carried out on 15 commercial parrot hand-feeding formulas.

Potential bio-indicators for assessment of mineral status in elephants.

The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) identify suitable bio-indicators to assess elemental status in elephants using captive elephant samples, and (2) understand how geochemistry influences mineral intake. Tail hair, toenail, faeces, plasma and urine were collected quarterly from 21 elephants at five UK zoos. All elephant food, soil from enclosure(s), and drinking water were also sampled.

Spatial geochemistry influences the home range of elephants.

The unique geochemistry surrounding the Palabora Mining Company (PMC) land may act as a micronutrient hotspot, attracting elephants to the area. The PMC produces refined copper and extracts phosphates and other minerals. Understanding the spatial influence of geochemistry on the home range size of African elephants is important for elephant population management and conservation.

Milk Composition of Asian Elephants () in a Natural Environment in Myanmar during Late Lactation.

The nutritional content of milk from free-living Asian elephants has not previously been reported, despite being vital for better management of captive populations. This study analyzed both milk composition and consumed plant species of Asian elephants managed in their natural environment in Myanmar. Longitudinal samples ( = 36) were obtained during both the wet and the dry season from six mature females in mid to late lactation in 2016 and 2017.

Composition of browses consumed by Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) sampled from home ranges in Papua New Guinea.

Twenty-six samples (n = 24 spp.) of foods eaten, including ferns, shrubs, vines, orchids, herbaceous plants, and tree leaves, were collected from the Yopno, Uruwa, and Som Conservation Area at approximately 1,800 m altitude on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Samples were weighed fresh in the field and transported to the Lae National Herbarium in PNG for drying and confirmed identification, before transporting to the US for analysis of primary nutrient composition and minerals.

Circulating nutrient concentrations in free-ranging Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in Punta San Juan, Peru.

Free-ranging Humboldt penguin (HP, Spheniscus humboldti) populations are under pressure from resource competition with industrial fisheries, habitat loss, and El Niño Southern Oscillation events. Foraging patterns for this top marine predator change during periods of aberrant oceanographic conditions and scarce fish stock numbers. These radical dietary fluctuations can lead to poor fertility, early embryonic death, poor hatchability, suppressed immune function, high chick mortality, and illness.

Captivity-induced metabolic programming in an endangered felid: implications for species conservation.

Reintroduction of captive-bred individuals into the wild is an important conservation activity. However, environmental conditions can influence developmental programming, potentially causing metabolic disorders in adults. These effects are investigated here for the first time in an endangered species.

Gaining insights in the nutritional metabolism of amphibians: analyzing body nutrient profiles of the African clawed frog, .

Whole bodies of ( = 19) were analysed for chemical composition and morphometrics. The nutrient profile (macronutrients, amino acids, fatty acids and minerals) was evaluated by sex; interactions among variables with body weights and lengths, and comparisons made with different species of marine and fresh water fish. Significant differences were found in morphometric measurements, water content, several minerals and fatty acids between sexes of .

African savanna elephants () as an example of a herbivore making movement choices based on nutritional needs.

Background: The increasing human population and global intensification of agriculture have had a major impact on the world's natural ecosystems and caused devastating effects on populations of mega-herbivores such as the African savanna elephants, through habitat reduction and fragmentation and increased human-animal conflict. Animals with vast home ranges are forced into increasingly smaller geographical areas, often restricted by fencing or encroaching anthropogenic activities, resulting in huge pressures on these areas to meet the animals' resource needs. This can present a nutritional challenge and cause animals to adapt their movement patterns to meet their dietary needs for specific minerals, potentially causing human-animal conflict.

The interplay between voluntary food intake, dietary carbohydrate-lipid ratio and nutrient metabolism in an amphibian, (Xenopus laevis).

Digestion of food and metabolism of frogs are little studied at the moment, and such processes could be very particular in the case of amphibians, given their ectothermic and carnivorous nature which may lead them to use nutrients through specific biochemical pathways. In the present study, 24 adult Xenopus laevis (six replicates with two frogs per treatment) were randomly assigned to two diets with different carbohydrate:fat ratio (4.5:1 and 2.

Exploiting a readily available but hard to digest resource: A review of exudativorous mammals identified thus far and how they cope in captivity.

Gum is a widely available carbohydrate, composed mainly of non-digestible structural carbohydrates. No mammalian enzymes can digest gum; therefore, a mammal ingesting gum must rely on microbial fermentation to access the energy it possesses. Gums are relatively nutrient poor.

Colouration in amphibians as a reflection of nutritional status: The case of tree frogs in Costa Rica.

Colouration has been considered a cue for mating success in many species; ornaments in males often are related to carotenoid mobilization towards feathers and/or skin and can signal general health and nutrition status. However, there are several factors that can also link with status, such as physiological blood parameters and body condition, but there is not substantial evidence which supports the existence of these relationships and interactions in anurans. This study evaluated how body score and blood values interact with colouration in free-range Agalychnis callidryas and Agalychnis annae males.