A rabbit's digestive system is described as a pseudo ruminant with functioning cecum. Which animal is this description about?

Prepare for the Animal Science 2 CFE Exam with interactive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each query includes detailed explanations and hints. Boost your knowledge for success!

Multiple Choice

A rabbit's digestive system is described as a pseudo ruminant with functioning cecum. Which animal is this description about?

Explanation:
Focus on where fermentation occurs. A pseudo-ruminant relies on hindgut fermentation, with the cecum as the main site for breaking down fibrous plant material. The rabbit has a very large, active cecum that ferments cellulose after the stomach and small intestine, and it often re-ingests the nutrient-rich cecotropes to absorb more nutrients. True ruminants like cows, sheep, and goats rely on foregut fermentation in a four-chamber stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum), not primarily the cecum. Because the description specifies a functioning cecum as the fermentation site, it points to the rabbit.

Focus on where fermentation occurs. A pseudo-ruminant relies on hindgut fermentation, with the cecum as the main site for breaking down fibrous plant material. The rabbit has a very large, active cecum that ferments cellulose after the stomach and small intestine, and it often re-ingests the nutrient-rich cecotropes to absorb more nutrients. True ruminants like cows, sheep, and goats rely on foregut fermentation in a four-chamber stomach (rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum), not primarily the cecum. Because the description specifies a functioning cecum as the fermentation site, it points to the rabbit.

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