Original Research

Protozoa and digestive tract parameters of the impala

Dirk Booyse, Burk A. Dehority
Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research | Vol 78, No 1 | a327 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v78i1.327 | © 2011 Dirk Booyse, Burk A. Dehority | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 02 March 2011 | Published: 12 October 2011

About the author(s)

Dirk Booyse,, South Africa
Burk A. Dehority, Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio State University, United States

Abstract

Intestinal contents were collected from eight impala at three different localities during the winter hunting season (2005–2009), as well as from another 24 animals from a one-year trial at a game farm called Ditholo (2003–2004). Gas production, protozoa counts and several other physiological parameters were measured from both rumen and caecum or colon contents. Only higher ophryoscolecid and Isotrichidae species of protozoa were counted and identified. Ostracodinium gracile was present in all 32 impala. Eudiplodinium maggii was present in 31 animals and Eudiplodinium impalae and Epidinium (either ecaudatum or caudatum) in 30 animals. Dasytricha ruminantium was present in only 11 of the impala. Concentrations of protozoa were correlated with the season of sample collection and highly correlated with the animals living on the game farm. Gas production (mL/g of wet rumen ingesta) was weakly correlated with protozoa concentration but not with the season of collection.

Keywords

Aepyceros melampus; gas production; gastrointestinal tract; impala; protozoa

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