The effect of diet quality on gut anatomy in British voles (Microtinae)

✍ Scribed by W. B. Lee; D. C. Houston

• Book ID: 104733284
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 301 KB
• Volume: 163
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0174-1578
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00347785

✦ Synopsis

Three species of British voles, the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus, the field vole Microtus agrestis and the water vole Arvicola terrestris were maintained on diets of seed and plant leaf material to investigate changes in gut anatomy. C. gtareolus and M. agrestis showed significant changes in most regions of the gut; they developed longer and heavier tracts when on a highfibre diet. This response may be important in enabling these animals to withstand seasonal changes in diet quality.