Protozoa and digestive tract parameters in blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou), with description of Entodinium taurinus n. sp. 2012

Dirk G Booyse, and Burk A Dehority
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa. dirk.booyse@up.ac.za

Rumen contents from four blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and six black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) were collected from two locations during two winter culling seasons. A total of 16 species of protozoa were found in blue wildebeest with Dasytricha ruminantium, Opisthotrichum janus and Ostracodinium gracile occurring in all four animals. In black wildebeest, 23 species of protozoa were observed with only Diplodinium bubalidis (caudal spine morphotype) and Ostracodinium damaliscus being present in all animals. In the blue wildebeest, the total number of species in an individual animal varied from 9 to 11 and in the black wildebeest, the number ranged from 4 to 14. Concentrations of cells per ml ranged from 1110 to 5880 in the blue wildebeest and 3120 to 6240 in the black wildebeest. This study is the first report on protozoa species in the blue and black wildebeest. A new species of Entodinium is described, Entodinium taurinus n. sp., observed in the rumen contents of three blue wildebeest. Several physical parameters of the digestive tract were also measured, including distribution, pH and density of gastrointestinal contents in different sections of the total tract. In vitro gas production was estimated for rumen, cecum and colon contents.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D005766 Gastrointestinal Contents The contents included in all or any segment of the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. Digestive Tract Contents,Intestinal Contents,Stomach Contents,GI Contents,Digestive Tract Content,GI Content,Gastrointestinal Content,Intestinal Content,Stomach Content
D006790 Host-Parasite Interactions The relationship between an invertebrate and another organism (the host), one of which lives at the expense of the other. Traditionally excluded from definition of parasites are pathogenic BACTERIA; FUNGI; VIRUSES; and PLANTS; though they may live parasitically. Host-Parasite Relations,Parasite-Host Relations,Host-Parasite Relationship,Parasite-Host Interactions,Host Parasite Interactions,Host Parasite Relations,Host Parasite Relationship,Host-Parasite Interaction,Host-Parasite Relation,Host-Parasite Relationships,Interaction, Host-Parasite,Interaction, Parasite-Host,Interactions, Host-Parasite,Interactions, Parasite-Host,Parasite Host Interactions,Parasite Host Relations,Parasite-Host Interaction,Parasite-Host Relation,Relation, Host-Parasite,Relation, Parasite-Host,Relations, Host-Parasite,Relations, Parasite-Host,Relationship, Host-Parasite,Relationships, Host-Parasite
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012417 Rumen The first stomach of ruminants. It lies on the left side of the body, occupying the whole of the left side of the abdomen and even stretching across the median plane of the body to the right side. It is capacious, divided into an upper and a lower sac, each of which has a blind sac at its posterior extremity. The rumen is lined by mucous membrane containing no digestive glands, but mucus-secreting glands are present in large numbers. Coarse, partially chewed food is stored and churned in the rumen until the animal finds circumstances convenient for rumination. When this occurs, little balls of food are regurgitated through the esophagus into the mouth, and are subjected to a second more thorough mastication, swallowed, and passed on into other parts of the compound stomach. (From Black's Veterinary Dictionary, 17th ed) Rumens
D012418 Ruminants A suborder of the order ARTIODACTYLA whose members have the distinguishing feature of a four-chambered stomach, including the capacious RUMEN. Horns or antlers are usually present, at least in males. Goats, Mountain,Ruminantia,Oreamnos americanus,Goat, Mountain,Mountain Goat,Mountain Goats,Ruminant
D013019 South Africa A republic in southern Africa, the southernmost part of Africa. It has three capitals: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). Officially the Republic of South Africa since 1960, it was called the Union of South Africa 1910-1960. Republic of South Africa,Union of South Africa
D013045 Species Specificity The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species. Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D016798 Ciliophora A phylum of EUKARYOTES characterized by the presence of cilia at some time during the life cycle. It comprises three classes: KINETOFRAGMINOPHOREA; OLIGOHYMENOPHOREA; and POLYMENOPHOREA. Ciliata,Ciliatas,Ciliophoras

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