DIGESTION
Asian elephants are herbivores and don’t sleep much. They travel for long distances to find enough food to sustain their bodies. They mainly feed on leaves, bark, fruits, trees and other shrubs. When given the proper climates they will find bananas, rice, sugarcane and other crops to eat. Tree bark is most consumed due to the calcium that aids their digestion. Their tusks help carve into tree trunks and break apart the bark. Asian elephants will also dig into the ground to dig for salt and minerals to supplement their bodies. Elephants also drink water at least once in a day and their bodies require 150-200 liters. Their trunks allow them to take in 10 liters every consumption.
Their digestive tract includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon, pharynx, esophagus, simple stomach, small/large intestine, caecum, rectum, and anus. They also use their molar teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, and pancreas. In an elephant's mouth their jaw and teeth have adapted to complement harsh diets. They can replace their molars and have folded enamel plates. Their esophagus consists of a short and narrow lumen that is lined with mucous glands that helps lubricate the coarse diets. Asian elephants have amylase and lysozymes in their saliva with very little or no salivary peroxidase. Their saliva contains elevated urea which can indicate recycling methods. The recycling method is used by bacteria and protozoa in the digestive tract for metabolizm. The elephant’s stomach has also adapted to be used as a storage which carries large amounts of water that weighs about 4-10 kgs. As the digestive tract continues to the small cecum and colon, cellulose is then digested. The colon does the primary digestion, fermentation, and absorption. Lastly the remaining waste is expelled through the rectum. Research done by the Centre of Wildlife Conservation states that food restrictions of specific concentrates helped decrease the elephants digestibility but still provided enough DE and CP to satisfy enough energy and protein for the body. The concentrates and portion of the given foods proved that the Asian Elephants should be restricted. The restriction will still provide enough nutrition for the body while reducing the extra calories. This way the elephants will be protected from the risk of obesity. |